We envisioned getting married in a synagogue andTemple Emanu-El offers the best of all worlds. It has a beautiful sanctuary and a premier wedding venue with amazing in-house catering. The location of the venue was perfect, situated equidistant between where we live and our New Jersey and Manhattan guests. Les Friedman, the owner, and Marty Maged, the general manager, are the quintessential dynamic duo. They are legends. From early stages of inquiry through the event itself, they were attentive, helpful, flexible, and really cared about us and our families. Les and Marty pride themselves in coming through for their couples and handling the many requests that come their way.
Ari is a rabbi, so we did a deep-dive into the meaning and symbolism of the ceremony’s many rituals. Being a rabbi also means having rabbi friends, so we had five rabbis participate in the wedding ceremony and pre-ceremony. Our goal was to ensure that each ritual held meaning for us, reflected our egalitarian values, and allowed for family participation. Dear friends, colleagues, and teachers officiated, including Rabbi David Fainsilber, Rabbi Jason Gitlin, Rabbi Samuel Klibanoff, Rabbi Danny Nevins, and Rabbi Gordon Tucker.