Marriage is a support system for the deepest, highest selves – what spiritually oriented people might call the ‘souls’ – of the two partners. Take time to make a deep wedding ritual together, to bind yourselves together healthily and strongly.
Preparing for marriage Read More »
Music, English lyrics and Recording © Alexander Massey, Aug 2014. Hebrew words (Trad.) Dedicated to my Rabbi, Reb Zalman Shachter-Shalomi (ztz”l), completed during shloshim. These three Hebrew lines from the evening blessing express our yearning for God’s protection – day and night – and throughout our lives. I think they can also be a prayer for the
Excerpts from: ‘A CCJ Branch in a Global Centre of Learning Excellence’ in Common Ground, Summer 2014, Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) “A memorable service on Holocaust Memorial Day, was led for us by the Revd. Peter Hewis, a retired Minister and former Chair of the Oxford branch of the Council of Christians and
Yom HaShoah with Oxford Unitarians Read More »
Watch/listen to Sim Shalom on YouTube BUY the sheet music (HIGH voice & pno/guit) – $4.95 BUY the sheet music (LOW voice & pno/guit) – $4.95 Translation: Bestow (‘put’) peace, goodness and blessing, grace, and loving-kindness and mercy, on us and on all Israel Your people. Bless us, our Creator, together as one with the
Lev. 19:1-20:7 The portion Kedoshim begins: “And G-d spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation …” So this is an ideal opportunity to consider what Moses was told to share with us as a community. Kedoshim tih’yu – ‘you shall be holy’, or, more literally, as kedoshim is plural, ‘you shall be holinesses’,
Kedoshim 5774 – How can we ‘be holy’? Read More »
This article outlines many of the customs that have grown up around death in Jewish communities. Many of the practices follow halachah, rulings from the Rabbis of the Talmud, or subsequent decisions from rabbinic authority. As in all Jewish life, the level of observance – or deferring to a rabbinic ruling – varies considerably. Those
Jewish customs around death and mourning Read More »
Katherine Shock: ‘I was pricked by Thornflower’s message of love’ – article in the Oxford Mail – read here
‘I was pricked by Thornflower’s message of love’ (Oxford Mail) Read More »
Listen/watch song on YouTube Composition and audio © Alexander Massey 15 February 2014 BUY the sheet music (2 vces) – $4.50 (2 copies @ $2.25) The fun of this song is all in the lyrics (printed below). First, the chorus loses more words each time it happens, and, by doing so, gradually reveals the differences between
Jewish religious wedding ceremonies are actually quite simple in structure and content, and this page sets out the main elements. However, simplicity should not be confused with superficiality. It is far better not to plan a religious wedding ceremony hastily, rush through it on the day, or just ‘go through the motions’. I would always
Jewish Wedding Ceremony – the elements Read More »
There is a lot to think about in preparing for your wedding day. On this page, we focus solely on the ceremony itself, and what I will need to know, in order to help you make the ceremony a success. (So we’re not going to cover questions about the venue, clothing decisions, stag or hen nights,
Jewish Wedding Ceremony Checklist Read More »