A Hebrew Blessing
Listener Submission: Most Meaningful Wedding Music Story

More Meaningful Wedding Music Stories Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Allegretto in Tandem Water Music Child No More Because Old Love Fools Rush In Moonlight Sonata The Lord's Prayer A Traditional Jewish Marriage Song Llef Susurro Rhosemedrye All Bach The Best Song in the World Perhaps Love A Mother's Blessing Memories Simple Gifts I Will Morning Song In Spite of Ourselves Salvation Army Singers Cats May Safely Sleep Give Yourself To Love How Can I Keep From Singing? Overture from Candide The Servant Song A Hebrew Blessing These Are For You The Lover's Waltz La Rejouissance Erev Shel Shoshanim Toccata You Are the New Day Dixieland Jazz Because Beauty and the Beast Beautiful The Lord's Prayer Somewhere Over the Rainbow How Can I Keep From Singing Devoted to You Promenade Days Together Stand By Me List of All Stories Odes to Joy home

Several years ago, I attended the June wedding of a close family friend, Steve, and his childhood sweetheart, Jennifer. The ceremony and reception were held at Jennifer's grandmother's estate near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Jennifer's family comes from the Quaker tradition.

In this faith, the wedding ceremony is typically preceded by a Meeting for Worship. During Meeting for Worship, participants sit in silence, and if moved, a person may stand and share their thoughts with the rest. We sat in a beautiful garden setting, listening to the music of nature: crickets, cicadas, birds, and rustling leaves. Then, one of our friends, an opera singer and daughter of a Cantor, rose and sang a beautiful blessing in Hebrew. It didn't matter that we all didn't fully understand Hebrew. Her mesmerizing soprano voice rose and fell with the breeze, ending in a simple "shalom."

Firth Whitehouse
Minneapolis , MN