New Jersey Russian Jews Renew Vows in Special Ceremony

By Elissa Strauss November 1, 2010

For most couples, renewing their vows is a way to express their unwavering love and dedication. But for 11 couples in New Jersey, their second marriage ceremony was an opportunity to commit to something else: Judaism.

On Sunday, October 31, these couples, who range in age from 30 to 60 and come from the Russian speaking Jewish community, exchanged vows for the first time under a chupah. As the Star-Ledger reported, the weddings were part of the annual gala held by Bris Avrohom, an organization based in Hillside, New Jersey, that provides community services to Russian speaking Jewish immigrants. The organization has been holding group weddings at their annual gala for over 24 years. Over 700 couples have participated. In the former Soviet Union, Jews were prohibited from getting married in a Jewish ceremony.

The Star-Ledger quotes Veronika Bilerman, who was first married 25 years ago and wore “a cream-colored gown trimmed with gold sequins” to the occasion: “You come to a point in your life when you want to do things…. This was sitting in me for a long time.”

Elissa Strauss has written for the Forward over a number of years. She is a regular contributor to CNN, whose work has been published in a number of publications including The New York Times, Glamour, ELLE, and Longreads.

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