JUNE 24 • 2021 | 53

Their rabbi, Arianna 
Silverman of Detroit’s Isaac 
Agree Downtown Synagogue, 
convinced them to do some 
of the Jewish ceremony now 
as well, including the sign-
ing of the ketubah (marriage 
contract) and the exchange of 
rings. Van’t Hof is wearing a 
simple gold diamond engage-
ment ring and wedding band 
that belonged to her maternal 
grandmother, Myra Zwiep, 
who died a few months ago. 
One of Ms. Zwiep’s scarves 
was used as an impromptu 
chuppah.
 
Rabbi Silverman explained 
that earlier in Jewish history 
the two parts of the wedding 
ceremony — kiddushin, or 
engagement, which includes 
the reading and signing of the 
ketubah and the exchange of 
rings, and nisuin, or sanctifica-
tion, which includes the Sheva 
Brachot (Seven Blessings), 
drinking wine and the break-
ing of a glass — were often 
separated, sometimes by many 
years.
Lewis and Van’t Hof sched-

uled the event for Friday, 
June 11, which is the First of 
Tammuz on the Jewish calen-
dar, a propitious date for nup-
tials. They will complete the 
Jewish rites in 2023.
Because the ketubah needed 
to be signed by two unrelated 
witnesses, their guest list grew 
with the addition of friends 
and their significant others. 
In all, 16 people were present, 
along with Lefty Frizzell, the 
couple’s dog. 
The short ceremony was fol-
lowed by a celebratory vegan 
lunch. 

TOP: The 
wedding 
proposal from 
Grace Van’t 
Hof.
RIGHT: Aaron 
Lewis and 
Grace Van’t Hof

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