As I reached for my cell phone, noticing the call was from Alan Katz and Great Officiants, I knew there was a Jewish or Interfaith couple needing a rabbi. It was Alan but to my surprise, he wanted to know if I was available in five days for the wedding. I was and took down the information and within 20 minutes fell in love this couple and took away a tremendous amount of stress.
It was at the last minute, their original rabbi took ill and had to bail. Apparently, he didn’t have a network of rabbis to rely on in such a situation. It was fortuitous that Juan and Alexia called Great Officiants. Within minutes, their problem for finding an Interfaith Rabbi was solved.
Alexia and Juan’s venue was, Inn at the 7th Ray in Topanga Canyon. And as the 20 guests were arriving, I had a chance to meet the family and get a feel that this was a fun loving group. Being the location, the guests’ love for the couple or any number of idyllic reasons, the ceremony was fun, tender and filled with a message of how to succeed in in marriage in today’s crazy world.
In the ceremony, we combined Mexican Catholic and Jewish Traditions. Best of all was the Benediction, where the couple was wrapped in a tallit as well as having their godparents place the Lasso around their shoulders at the same time. Both traditions represent the bond that unites the two of them, Soul.
Over all, no one would have known that I didn’t know them but for a few days. And that’s the way it should always be.
