Joseph's
Bookstore
1257 Finchley Road
Temple Fortune
London NW11 0AD
T: 020 8731 7575
F: 020 8731 6699
Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri:
9:30 - 6:30pm
Sat & Sun:
10:00 - 5:00pm
Opening
Hours:
Mon
- Thurs:
10:00 - 10:00pm
Fri:
10:00 - 5:00pm
Sat
- Sun:
10:00 - 10:00pm
Top Five Jewish Wedding Gift Books
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1.
The Creative Jewish Wedding Book: A Hands-On Guide to New & Old Traditions, Ceremonies & Celebrations by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer £16.95
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| This guide to Jewish weddings will be best appreciated by those who are new to Judaism, those who wish to adapt tradition to personalize their Jewish wedding or those who want to incorporate elements of the Jewish tradition into an unconventional or interfaith wedding ceremony. Kaplan-Mayer writes accessibly and engagingly, leading readers through Jewish customs such as the ketubah, the marriage contract that she encourages them to modify according to their own backgrounds and needs, and the chuppah, the wedding canopy that she helps them envision and create. She tackles food, music, family dynamics and ritual objects ("something oldish, something newish, something borrowed, something Jewish"). Kaplan-Mayer pays special attention to the needs of interfaith and same-sex couples, with practical suggestions for diminishing possible tensions and helping family members and guests feel at ease.
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2.
To Life! L'Chaim!: Prayers and Blessings for the Home
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| An illustrated collection of Jewish prayers, blessings, and meditations draws from the Sabbath prayer book, the Talmud, and Haggadah, in an anthology that features prayers for special occasions, ones to mark observances of the Jewish calendar, celebrations of rites of passage, and works for everyday.
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3.
The New Jewish Wedding, Revised
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| The Definitive, Completely Up-to-Date Guide to Planning a Jewish Wedding.Since its original publication in 1986, The New Jewish Wedding has become required reading, assigned to engaged couples by Conservative, Reform, and Reconstruc-tionist rabbis alike. In this new revision, Anita Diamant, one of the most respected writers of guides to Jewish life, continues to offer step-by-step guidance to planning the ceremony and the party that follows -- from hiring a rabbi and wording the invitation to organizing a processional and hiring a caterer.
Complete, authoritative, and indispensable, The New Jewish Wedding is a must-have resource for anyone who wants a wedding that combines spiritual meaning and joyous celebration.
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4.
Mazal Tov!: The Ritual and Customs of a Jewish Wedding
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| This volume contains the set liturgy that is used in Jewish wedding ceremonies throughout the world, printed in both Hebrew and English. It also describes the associated customs, such as the exchange of rings, the circling of the bride, the sharing of wine, the reading of the wedding contract and the breaking of a glass. There is description of the variations in wedding custom practised by the different Jewish communities around the world. An introduction explains the history, the theology and meaning of the wedding ceremony, and there are explanations through the text of the symbolism in the customs and the standard and variant liturgy. The text is illustrated with illuminated manuscripts and wedding contracts ("ketubbot") from the British Library.
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5.
Romance and Ritual: Celebrating the Jewish Wedding
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| This book explores the Jewish wedding and related themes of courtship and married life through customs and rituals from different times and places. Included are many treasured works, including rare, illuminated ketubbot (wedding contracts) from the 17th to 20th centuries and embroidered Wimpels or Torah binders; newly restored American wedding gowns from the late 19th century to the present accompanied by personal and touching stories; and mementos - postcards, sheet music, invitations - that celebrate the universal aspiratons couples have when embarking upon marriage. Additional wedding clothing reflects Jewish communites in Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Rhodes. Portraits celebrate the virtues of marriage, depicting couples well into their marriages. Essays on wedding dress preservation and recommendations to the modern bride are also included. Though Jewish law stipulates very few requirements for a wedding, many special customs and rituals have been developed over time and in different countries to embellish this important personal event. | |
