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B'nai Mitzvah

Visit our B'nai Mitzvah page for full details.

Weddings

At Kol Tikvah, we honor and celebrate every possible union. We look forward to making your ceremony special and memorable.

 

 


 

If you are seeking a single-faith wedding, dual-faith, or interfaith wedding, we tailor the ceremony to respect your wishes and do everything possible to make you and your families comfortable.


We have a long history of supporting opposite sex and LGBTQ couples as they select the vows and Jewish rituals that are most meaningful for them. Our clergy meets with couples three times before the wedding to ensure a personalized experience.

Hebrew Naming

Adult Hebrew Naming 
Story by Michaela Ivri Mendelsohn

Carmel and I had joined Kol Tikvah a year before to enter our then two-year old son into preschool. Isadore quickly made new friends and thrived under the nurturing environment. 

We attended Friday night dinners and Shabbat services and met so many welcoming adults. It felt so natural being a lesbian couple in such an accepting community. But, as a transgender female there was still a barrier for me.  I felt as though I had a secret, one in which I would always wonder who knew and who didn’t. 

I met Rabbi Jon and discussed my desire for a naming ceremony, one in which I could speak to the entire congregation explaining my experience and introduce them to the person I had suppressed for so many years.

I couldn’t have imagined what a wonderful experience this would turn out to be. The day before Rabbi Jon and Cantor Noa met me at the Mikvah and recited special prayers for the occasion. The following night, the naming service was part of the temple’s first of what would become regular “Pride Shabbats” in which the LGBT community was honored and respected. 

The trans chorus sang three heartfelt songs for the occasion. The regular congregation that evening was joined by an equal number of people from the gay and transgender communities. The love between the two groups was palpable. Years later so many of my friends still speak of what a wonderful congregation we have at Kol Tikvah. It makes me very proud to be part of it.

We are happy to welcome you into the community with a Jewish name that reflects your true identity.

 

 

Contact the Clergy Office for details & scheduling
frontdesk@koltikvah.org | 818.348.0670 x200

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784