Rabbi's High Holiday words spark marital renewal.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
StaffWriter

meaningful sermon that led to a series of classes
i nspired a reaffirmation of wedding vows for
seven couples at Temple Beth El on May 12.
After speaking to the congregation about rela-
tionships and marriage during last year s High Holidays,
Rabbi David Castiglione's sentiment on the subject grew
into the synagogue's "Marriage: An Affirmation of Love"
course.
Teaching four of the six monthly classes himself, the
rabbi enlisted the input of psychologists Drs. Cathy and
John Pietrofesa of Bloomfield Hills for the others.
"I dealt with issues and topics of affirmation and good-
ness of relationships," Rabbi Castiglione says. "I concentrat-
ed on the Jewish aspects of things, while they drew from
their practice and experience and talked about general rela-
tionship issues of couples and issues of parenting."
During the course, seven of the 40 couples, who had
been married varying numbers of years, decided to hold a
ceremony where they could reaffirm their wedding vows.
Among them were Dr. Robert D. and Deborah Ross of
Bloomfield Hills.
"We had just Celebrated our 20th anniversary when we
heard the rabbi's sermon," Dr. Ross says. "When I heard
about the class I remember thinking it would be a good
thing." He says the class confirmed for him and his wife "a
lot of the things we know but don't say"
And so, in front of family and friends, the Rosses joined
classmates in a procession of couples. They walked down
the aisle in the Beth El sanctuary, stood under the chuppah

'

(wedding canopy), smiled for a wedding photographer and
participated in a reception complete with Israeli music.
"It brought back a lot of memories," Dr. Ross says.
He also says he came to the chuppah this time with a
new understanding of the wedding itself. "The first
time I didn't know that much about the ceremony and
its derivation."
Rabbi Castiglione says learning about the wedding
ceremony was a major focus of the class.
"We reviewed the ceremony itself and the
symbols and how they are meant to guide and
influence life in the home," the rabbi says. "The
chuppah, for example, is symbolic of many
things, including the home a couple will build.
The individuals invited to hold the chuppah are
those who lead their lives in such a way that
their values should be incorporated as founda-
tions of our house, the cornerstones of how we
would like to live."
In the wake of the well-received class is the
plan to include couples planning marriage into
next year's group. "With so many marriages
not succeeding, they could learn from couples
whose marriages are working," says Ross, who
Top: Couples stand under the chuppah during affirmation
finds the idea a beneficial next step. He rec-
ceremony.
ommends the class and the affirmation of
vows to others.
Rabbi David Castiglione has fun at post-ceremony recep-
"The ceremony for us was a very emotional
tion.
experience," he says. And it had a twist not
available at the Rosses marriage in 1980. This
Rabbi David Castiglione claps his hands as Sue and Aaron
time their son Peter, 17, was able to be there
Levine of West Bloomfield walk from the chuppah.
with them. E

6/15
2001

59