1. Our Community is Orthodox and we follow the Sephardic minhag. There is no problem, however, about people of any minhag wishing to get married in our Community.
2. We have five Synagogues. Schola Spagnola, Schola Levantina, Schola Italiana, Schola Tedesca, Schola Canton. These Synagogues are all in the Ghetto. There are no specific rules regarding the use of any of our Synagogues, apart from those deriving from their being Orthodox. During the wedding however, women are dispensed from the use of the women’s gallery: men and women are allowed to stand sit, in the Synagogue hall, on opposite sides.
3. Guests are permitted to attend the service according to the bride and bridegroom’s choice.
4. The ceremony is performed in Hebrew, like the local use. Any change of the ceremony has to be agreed with the Chief Rabbi.
5. We provide the Chuppah (an ancient and precious one) a silver quiddush cup, from our ancient collection, too, and the glass to be broken at the end of the ceremony.
6. We provide a printed Ketubbah.
7. The date of the wedding should be fixed in agreement with our Rabbi, also to avoid those periods of the year when, by Jewish Law, the ceremony cannot take place and any other possible impediment.
8. It is customary to arrange a quiddush for the wedding-guests in our Community Center, which is just a few steps from any of the five Synagogues. The hall, there, can hold 100 people and as many the adjoining garden. It is possible to arrange for a Kosher quiddush. Fees would vary depending on number of people invited and on the kind of food etc.
9. The fee include the service, in the Synagogue of the Rabbi and Hazzan, halachic control and verification of documents (see N. 10), use the Miqwe, printed ketubbah, preparation of the Chuppah, cleaning of the Synagogue before and after the service, security service at the entrance of the Synagogue throughout the service, use of the Community Center Hall, mail and telephone or fax expenses, etc.
10. As to halachic matters, which are within the sole province of our Rabbi, Rav Elia Richetti, the following are the documents to be produced:
a) written certificates from an Orthodox Rabbi attesting the Jewishness of bride - and bridegroom – to-be.;
b) Ketubboth of the bride’s and the groom’s parent’s weddings;
c) te, dhath rawquth, that are certificate of single status issued by an orthodox Beth-Din; and an orthodox attesting if Jewishness.
11. The marriage celebrated in our Synagogue is religious. We are not authorized to celebrate civil marriages other than with Italian citizens. The couple should then provide for that by themselves, either in Venice or in their own country.
12. Our own Rav and the Hazzan act as witnesses. Witnesses, in any case, must be shomerei mitzvoth.
13. As to the miqwe, the bride-to-be can perform the mitzvah here or in her own Community; in this latter case, she should produce a certificate, dated not more than four days before the wedding-ceremony, attesting that the mitzvah was performed. |
