Kashrut And Jewish Christian Interfaith Wedding

By Karen Morris


With the intermingling of faiths there comes the result of the jewish and christian faiths to mix in marriage. Jewish christian interfaith wedding can become complex and beset with many obstacles to overcome. It is not the ideal scenario to be in but with a bit of research, all can be accomodated and the celebration can go ahead without a fuss.

It is not something that is planned but just happens when two people of different denominations find that they want to spend the rest of their lives together. One may be an orthodox Jew and a practicing one at that where all religious days are practiced. Marry a christian may not be what the parents want but with time it becomes acceptable.

For one, a Shochet or ritual slaughterer must be used and this person has studied for years and is a practicing Jew. It is best to use caterers that have been approved by the Beth Din in order to avoid backlash from some of the guests. So with this in mind, the wedding can go ahead as planned taking into consideration the needs and requirements of all the guests.

Kashrut which is word encompassing all the dietary laws is set out both in the Five Books of Moses or written Torah as well as the oral law that has been handed down through the centuries and has not changed to this day. Only certain foods may be consumed for example fish that have fins and scales and meat of which the animals have cloven hooves and chew the cud, namely cattle. Apart from this there exists a complete procedure as to how these animals are prepared for consumption.

For example, cattle may only be consumed if they are slaughtered correctly by a Shochet which is a ritual slaughterer. The knife used has to be free of blemishes or kinks in the blade. It should also be noted that only the forequarter of the animal may be consumed as the hind legs where the sciatica nerve runs is not allowed.

This is derived from the Bible when Jacob fought the Angel of Esau where he was hurt in this area of the body. There are many such references to this and it is because in remembrance of this event that practicing jews will not partake of this section of the animal. Apart from this the meat is salted to draw most of the blood out of the meat as it is believed that the soul is directly connected to blood and this is why as much of it is drained as possible.

These are the little idiosyncrasies that require consideration. Using a kosher caterer is best in order to satisfy the wishes of family and friends. By searching and doing a little research one can find those willing to provide food for the occasion.

In the world today, intermarrying has become more acceptable as before where many find themselves wanting to know more about each others religion. Many decide to convert and this requires a study on its own. Nevertheless, the occasion can be a festive one with traditions thrown in as they would be in a conventional wedding.




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