​On November 18th, I officiated Maria and Alberto’s wedding ceremony in Spanish at Magnolia Terrace in Frisco, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them:

María y Alberto, cuando pienso en lo que su amor enseña, vuelvo siempre a una verdad simple: la luz siempre encuentra su camino.

Ambos nacieron en La Habana, en circunstancias que podrían haber hecho que muchas personas se volvieran cautelosas o endurecidas. Pero ustedes aprendieron desde muy jóvenes a buscar la luz. María, tú lo dices con tanta belleza: que sin importar lo que traiga la vida, siempre tratas de encontrar la luz, la magia. Y Alberto, fuiste criado por tres mujeres extraordinarias que llenaron tu vida de risas y de cariño, enseñándote a mirar el mundo con alegría. Por eso, cuando se conocieron, no fue casualidad que se sintiera como un reencuentro, como si dos pequeñas luces se dieran cuenta de que siempre habían formado parte de la misma llama.

Han pasado diez años demostrando que la luz puede sobrevivirlo todo: la distancia, el peligro, el enorme salto de fe que implica empezar de nuevo en un país desconocido. Ustedes escribieron que comenzaron “sin nada—ni siquiera zapatos”. Pero de algún modo lograron construirlo todo: confianza, gratitud, fe y la certeza de que Hashem los ha acompañado en cada paso, en cada prueba.

Lo que yo he aprendido de ustedes es que el amor no depende de lo que uno tiene, sino de lo que uno construye. No son los grandes gestos, sino la decisión tranquila y firme de seguir apareciendo el uno para el otro; de seguir creando calidez en medio de la incertidumbre; de seguir creyendo en la alegría incluso cuando el mundo parece pesado.

Hoy, al estar aquí—solo ustedes dos, y la Presencia que los ha guiado—veo no una boda pequeña, sino una historia inmensa. Veo al niño criado por mujeres de fuerza y a la joven que aprendió a encontrar su magia en los lugares oscuros. Veo dos almas que cruzaron un océano no solo para sobrevivir, sino para vivir plenamente, con gratitud y con fe.

Y ahora, mientras comienzan este nuevo capítulo, me recuerdan que la luz más verdadera no necesita público. Brilla en silencio, constante, lo suficiente para llenar una vida, un hogar y un corazón.

Que esa luz los siga guiando siempre, y que su matrimonio sea lo que ya es: un testimonio de fe, de valentía y del poder sereno de dos personas que nunca dejaron de creer en la magia del amor.

​On September 27th, Father Alfonse Nazzaro and I co-officiated Gracie and Blake’s wedding ceremony at the Dallas Arboretum, in the Alex Camp House in Dallas, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:

If you ask Gracie and Blake when they first met, you’ll get two different answers, maybe a third if they keep thinking about it. Gracie says it was sometime in high school, since they grew up in the same neighborhood and had mutual friends. Blake isn’t so sure. We may never know for certain.

What we do know is that when they really got to know each other through the Silver Spurs Association in college, something clicked, even if at first only in the sense of friendship. Gracie says, “We had crossed paths before, but this was the first time we spent regular time together, initially just as friends.” Blake says, “Honestly, I always just thought of her as a friend… partly because she was out of my league.” (Blake, that’s called insight. Keep it.)

Gracie’s childhood revolved around her Catholic upbringing, Catholic school from kindergarten through high school, church every Sunday, Catholic camp in the summer. She says she’s “thankful for the values and structure it gave me.” At the same time, her first job at the Purple Cow diner opened her up to people “from all sorts of backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs” and “sparked a real interest in learning about different perspectives.”

Blake grew up steeped in Jewish tradition, Sunday school at Shearith Israel through his bar mitzvah, Jewish summer camp every summer. He says, “Growing up, I recognized early on the community that comes with religion, and that is where it had the biggest impact on me.”

From the outside, they might seem to have come from very different worlds. But when they started spending more time together, they realized how much they shared, especially, as Gracie puts it, “our outlook on life and shared interests.” 

Their first date was pure Austin: “Jazz at South Congress Hotel, pizza at Homeslice, and music at the Continental Club.” Their second was a Gary Clark Jr. concert, which launched a shared love of live music that continues to this day.

Blake says, “I simply didn’t know what true love was until I met Gracie… She’s never met a stranger, is always down for whatever crazy plans I come up with, and has everything you want in a wife.”

Gracie says, “Blake brings out the best in me, lights up every room, and shares my values… Even though we come from different places, our love has always brought us together and always will.”

What we can learn from them is this: You don’t have to have the same background to have the same vision for life. Curiosity about the world and about each other isn’t just a good way to grow up, it’s the best way to grow together. And sometimes the person you think of as “just a friend” turns out to be the person who makes your world bigger, your adventures richer, and your life immeasurably fuller.

Interfaith Wedding Rabbi is excited to share that our home base is now Beaverton, Oregon 🌲💍

While we’re proudly serving couples across Oregon, we continue to officiate anywhere in the United States and abroad.

Same inclusive, heartfelt ceremonies — now with a Pacific Northwest address ❤️
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Love is love. Wherever you are.