Tradition, Family Histories Beckon Couples to
Celebrate Nuptials at Beth El

There’s no place like home, especially when it comes to getting married.

Newlyweds Laynie (Ginsburg) and Joshua Heller, Carrie (Roitstein) and Steve Bernstein, Lisa (Silver) and Peter Reitzes, and Shoshana (Wees) and Corey Friedman may have chosen different cities to begin their married lives, but there was no question about where they all wanted to tie the knot: here in Omaha -- the brides’ hometown -- at Beth El Synagogue.

Tradition and family history played roles in the couples’ decisions about where to exchange nuptials, and they all were enthusiastic to reminisce about and share details about their weddings, which all took place last year.

“We absolutely loved having our wedding at Beth El!” said Shoshana Friedman, whose October 14 ceremony and dinner party were held at the synagogue. “We both felt strongly about having a ceremony at a synagogue, and I had always imagined getting married at Beth El. Since we had so many out-of-town guests, we wanted a ‘one-stop shop,’ and needed a place that could hold a large group. Plus, the sanctuary is beautiful and the social hall is lovely.”

The sanctuary is known to create a magical ambience for wedding celebrations. The architecture of the room emphasizes the dramatic and lovely atmosphere: the high, wood ceiling; warm, golden overhead lighting; the arches surrounding the curved walls of the room and the warmth of the wood-paneled ark, all help to create an impressive and yet intimate setting for celebrants. The social hall, which lends itself to a myriad of decorative themes, can entertain up to 450 guests for a sit-down dinner, and the synagogue’s strict policy of kashrut allows every Jew the comfort of eating all food items served.

Friedman, now working in marketing in Chicago (her husband works in financial services), recalled her involvement at Beth El, including a stint as USY president and as a tutor for younger children on Shabbat mornings. She also pointed out that her parents, Stephen and Joye, remain active congregants.

Among her special wedding memories, Friedman cited the moment when her father, “a really talented pianist,” surprised her by manning the keyboard while Cantor Gaston Bogomolni chanted the Sheva Brachot. “It was so special and such a surprise,” she said.

Fellow newlywed Lisa Reitzes said that she and her fiancé were looking to have a “fairly traditional Jewish wedding,” and Beth El fit the bill. Reitzes grew up at Beth El, and celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at the old synagogue on 49th and Farnam. She also witnessed moving day, when the synagogue relocated to its current location at 145th and California St. “I remember the day the Torahs were walked over to the new Beth El, and as a kid, I thought that was so interesting.”;

The couple resides in Brooklyn, New York, where Lisa works as a freelance events planner and Peter is a speech pathologist specializing in stuttering disorders.

Prior to their wedding on August 12, she noted that Rabbi Mordechai Levin and Cantor Gastón were instrumental in preparing them for their ceremony. “Both the rabbi and cantor told us what to expect,” said Reitzes, daughter of Steve Silver and Susan Silver. “Rabbi Levin sat with us to get to know us a little better and they both made us feel comfortable. My husband says that even though we are not the most knowledgeable couple regarding Judaism, they made us feel comfortable with the ceremony--they didn’t make us feel like ‘minor league Jews.’”

Laynie Heller also praised Beth El’s clergy for their guidance and attention prior to her September 2 ceremony, saying, “They were great! We live out of town and it was important to me that whenever we were in Omaha, we would have a meeting with them. I felt that throughout the engagement year they got to know us as a couple. They were very supportive and put the time in to find out as much about us as they could.”

The Hellers, who reside in Philadelphia (Laynie works as a games coordinator for Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel; Josh is a resident in neurosurgery at Temple University Hospital), never doubted where their wedding would take place.

“We never considered getting married anywhere else,” Heller said, noting that her parents, Bill and Beth Ginsburg, were also wed at Beth El. “I knew I wanted to be married at the synagogue where I spent my entire life. Beth El is very important to me and holds a special place in my heart. This is the synagogue that my grandparents belong to, as well as my entire family.

“I always imagined walking into the sanctuary on my wedding day, but nothing can describe the feeling I had,” she continued. “It was extremely surreal and emotional and all my memories of childhood, Hebrew school and my life in that synagogue all came together. As I saw Josh's face waiting for me under the chuppah, I was so excited to start my life with him.”

Family history also played a large role in Carrie Bernstein’s decision to wed at Beth El. Tradition and the linkage between generations permeated the May 27th ceremony, as the couple wed underneath a chuppah draped with the tallitot of the bride's late grandfather, Morris Roitstein, and the groom's late great-grandfather, Sol Sisser.

“Having all my family and friends with me was the most important part of my wedding day,” said Bernstein, daughter of Lloyd and Debbie Roitstein. “Steve and I both walked down the aisle with our best friends - our parents,” She also shared her most special memory: the attendance of her grandmother, Ann Roitstein.

Like the Hellers, Bernstein noted the potential pitfalls of planning a wedding long distance (Carrie is an optometrist and Steve is in television programming sales for Sony Pictures Television; they reside in Chicago), but she expressed appreciation to the rabbi and cantor, who, she said, “spent a lot of time with us before the wedding to really get to know us.”

She also expressed appreciation to Cantor Gastón, for spending many hours e-mailing music samples for the ceremony. “He sang a beautiful Israeli song as part of our ceremony that really made it special.”

The Bernstein ceremony was also marked with humor, as family and friends waited in great anticipation for Steve to break the glass. “Steve has a long family tradition of the men failing to break the glass,” Carrie joked, “so when he was successful on the first try, everyone had to celebrate.”

Tradition, history, family connections . . . all these elements meshed together to create precious wedding memories last year for four different couples on four different days, but all at the same place – Beth El Synagogue. There’s no place like home.

Robyn & Chad Menin's Wedding Ceremony

Robyn & Chad Menin

Here is what Robyn (Kooper) Menin had to say about her wedding experience at Beth El:

"It was important to me to get married at Beth El, and it was nice to have our ceremony and reception in the same spot. It was the start of a new chapter of my life, and getting married at Beth El was the beginning of that chapter."

"I have grown up at Beth El and I can still remember my Bat Mitzvah in the old location. Beth El holds a great number of fond memories, and I am grateful for the support I have gotten over the years."

On her wedding day: "I walked into the sanctuary before I was even dressed, and words couldn't describe my reaction. I had just gotten my hair done, and I wanted to check out my flowers and see the area. I could hardly speak when I walked into the sanctuary, because I was blown away by how beautiful it looked. My parents gave me my fairytale princess wedding! "

Read more about other life cycle events at Beth El here.