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Rabbi Monty Eliasov
Performs Interfaith
Jewish Wedding Ceremonies
in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas

Rabbi Monty always knew he wanted to perform interfaith marriages. His "life's mission" as he terms it comes from his deep conviction that Judaism is a porous religious faith, not one which was meant to be lived in isolation from the rest of society. His congregation, the Shalom Rav of Austin, Texas, has voted overwhelmingly in favor of his performance of Jewish interfaith wedding ceremonies with the full support of the Board and membership of his congregation.

For American Jews, intermarriage is a fact of life and has been for many decades. Rabbi Monty asks each couple to find the optimum balance they seek in their spiritual lives as a new couple. Rabbi Monty often meets older couples who all tell the same story -- how they had difficulty finding a rabbi to perform their ceremony in decades past and that they are happy to see him doing this work.

One important goal of Rabbi Monty's is to make sure that both sides of the family come away from the ceremony feeling both represented and included. He wants the ceremony to be the glue for a new understanding and to be the beginning of a new relationship, one of hope and anticipation of the joys and challenges of a new beginning, an expansion of the family as a whole unit.

Rabbi Monty notes that more often than not the interfaith ceremony is in fact a transformative experience. He has witnessed latent and open antagonism turn into openheartedness and joyful acceptance right before his eyes. He has learned what the non-Jewish side of the new family needs in addition to what the Jewish side of the new family needs and proceeds to create a balance out of that understanding.

Rabbi Monty uses simultaneous translation of all the Hebrew blessings and prayers and family and guests often remark how they feel the ceremony came across as meaningful for them as well. They understood the symbols and felt that the sacredness of the ceremony was passed on to them as witnesses. Many Jews who would otherwise not find Jewish representation at their ceremony are deeply thankful that Rabbi Monty has made this his life's mission.

As a result of trailblazing a new ceremony particularly well suited to all a whole range of family observances, from traditional to secular, Rabbi Monty is a popular rabbi for weddings in Austin and San Antonio and also travels to Dallas and Houston during the summer months.

If you wish to contact Rabbi Monty directly to ask him about his interfaith Jewish ceremonies, please call Rabbi Monty, 512-401-9856.