My Big, Happy Jewish Wedding Trivia Quiz

Answer: As a tiny infant

In Jewish tradition, a baby boy is circumcised when he is eight days old, assuming he is healthy. After the procedure, the guests say, "Just as he has entered into the Covenant, so may he enter into Torah, marriage and good deeds". Similarly, at the baby-naming of an infant girl, which is usually within the first week or so following her birth, the parents are told, "May your merit bring her up into Torah, marriage and good deeds".

In other words, even before the tiny infant can turn over, the family is thinking about a future spouse!

Answer: Bashert

"Bashert" is a Yiddish word meaning "fate", but it is often used to mean that "one and only", or "a match made in Heaven". The business of finding the right match, or one's "bashert", is taken quite seriously in Jewish tradition. The Midrash tells of a woman who came to a rabbi , and asked "If G-d made the heavens and earth in six days, then what has He been doing since then?" The rabbi replied, "Making matches!".
The wrong answers: "shadchan" is a matchmaker, "chatan" is a bridegroom, and "kala" is a bride.

Answer: Break a plate together

Breaking a plate symbolizes the seriousness of the couples' intentions towards one another. A smashed plate cannot easily be made whole again; just so, an engaged couple cannot easily renege on their promise to be married. In recent times, friends of relatives of the bride will often decorate a plate for this ceremony, knowing full well it will soon be broken into little pieces.

The shards are distributed to the bride's single friends as good-luck pieces.

Answer: Soon be you!

While this type of greeting may sound intrusive to modern ears, please be assured that your friends and relatives only have your best interests at heart. Judaism has no significant tradition of celibacy, and a single person is simply someone who has yet to meet their soul-mate!

Answer: Refrain from seeing one another

While there is no law actually prohibiting the couple from seeing one another during the week prior to the wedding, there is a very strong tradition of not doing so. In some cases, the young people do not talk on the phone or use SMS or the computer to communicate.

This tradition is actually quite wise; it prevents a lot of the pre-wedding jitters and tensions that plague some couples right before the wedding. Often, the couple will exchange little gifts during this week, using the good offices of friends or relatives.

Answer: Veil her

If you ever attend an Orthodox Jewish wedding, you will find the bride and groom sitting in separate parts of the hall, where they receive their guests. Shortly before the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants, sometimes accompanied by a musician, enter the women's section.

The groom then veils his bride; she will remain veiled until the end of the wedding ceremony. This ceremony is based on the experience of the Patriarch Jacob, who asked to marry Rachel, but was tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah.

At the "bedeken" ceremony, as it is called in Yiddish, the groom makes sure that he is marrying the right woman!

Answer: Exchange of vows

A traditional Jewish wedding ceremony takes place under a "chuppa", or canopy. This can be made of almost anything - velvet, flowers, or a prayer shawl. The ceremony begins with the blessing over wine. The groom drinks first, and then offers the wine goblet to his bride.

The marriage contract, or "ketubah", is read out loud. The "ketubah" enumerates the man's responsibilities towards his wife, and is meant to ensure her welfare. The groom then places a ring on his bride's finger and says "Behold, you are sanctified to me according to the laws of Moses and Israel".

It is at this point that they are officially married! There is no exchange of vows during a Jewish wedding.

Answer: The destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple

When the groom stamps on the glass, he recites the following verses from the Book of Psalms (137:5-7) "If I forget thee, Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its cunning; may my tongue cleave to my palate, if I do not put Jerusalem above my greatest joys". Even at our happiest moments, in the midst of a wedding, we remember Jerusalem and long to return.

Answer: Bride and groom doing a tango together

Orthodox Judaism places a great emphasis on modesty. For this reason, men and women pray separately in the synagogue. For the same reason, you will not usually see "mixed" dancing at an Orthodox wedding. Instead, you will see men and women doing dances like the hora, in separate circles.

It is very common to lift the bride up while she is sitting on a chair, and hoist the groom up on the shoulders of friends, so that they dance in mid-air! At non-Orthodox weddings, you will usually find a combination of traditional Jewish dances together with "mixed" dancing.

Answer: False

A meal will always follow a Jewish wedding. In fact, the Grace after Meals contains a special addition which is recited at the wedding banquet, which is an obligatory meal. While the families' budget and local custom will determine what type of meal is served, the general tendency is for a lavish spread. You won't leave a Jewish wedding feeling hungry!