We’re resharing this past blog post about Beyond the Huppah, our program for engaged and recently married couples. Know someone newly engaged or a couple married in the past five years? A new cohort begins December 7.
by Annie O.
My husband and I were both raised Jewish, and attended Reform and Conservative religious services growing up. While we were dating, we enjoyed going to High Holiday services together, and occasionally hosted Shabbat dinners with friends. We were lucky enough to be married by two rabbis, both close family members. Our conversations with them in preparation for the ceremony were both meaningful and grounding as we anticipated our big day. We thoughtfully reflected on the language in our ketubah and set intentions for the type of Jewish life we wanted to lead. A week before the wedding, we both went to the mikveh at Mayyim Hayyim. This was our first introduction to the space, and a profound and beautiful experience.
A few months after our wedding, we were eager to find some ongoing way to connect to Judaism and find community and ritual in our lives. We heard about the Beyond the Huppah course and decided to sign up. From the initial meeting, and across the classes, we felt warmly welcomed and at ease. We enjoyed the opportunity to meet other young couples and appreciated the balance of time to socialize and also engage in deeper conversation. We also appreciated the format of the course, which included a focused topic for each meeting, time to discuss in small and large groups, and time privately with our partners. The facilitator was thoughtful and engaging, carefully weaving together Jewish text, interesting anecdotes, and helpful guiding questions.
Beyond the Huppah gave us the tools to deepen our connection as a married couple and explore more complex layers of our individual and interpersonal lives. We most vividly remember the dialogues about money, values, intimacy, and ritual, and would often continue the conversations long after each class had ended. The built-in quality time we got each week as couple going to the class was an added bonus, as life can often get quite busy.
We would absolutely recommend this class to any couple who is interested in mindful self-reflection and enhancement of their relationship.
Register today for the next cohort of Beyond the Huppah, beginning December 7, in partnership with Base Boston. LGBTQ+ and interfaith couples warmly welcome.