Wondering what it is like to work with Rabbi Adrienne or have her officiate at your service or ceremony? Here are what some of her past couples, students, mourners, and congregants have said.
Wedding Couples & Families
“Rabbi Adrienne performed the marriage of my daughter Bella and son-in-law Ben. It was intimate, informative and enjoyable. Every step was explained fully so that all members of the family knew of what was happening. Adrienne’s warmth and knowledge made all of our guests comfortable. Thank you so much for making such beautiful memories happen.” — Faith W.
“It was important for David and I to have a ceremony that embraced both our faiths and highlighted our story; for us, the relationship that we have with God is paramount. In our eyes, it is the reason that we have been able to sustain our relationship. We wanted both Judaism and Christianity to be emphasized through the universal religious principles of love, commitment, honesty and forgiveness; as they are the bedrock of any successful union. So when Rabbi Rubin was recommended by a close family friend we were ecstatic to have someone who was knowledgeable about the Jewish faith, made traditional ceremony suggestions and brought our attention to passages of the Torah that highlighted what our union has met to us. This was a renewal of our wedding vows for our ten year anniversary (we eloped in Vegas initially); this time it was important to highlight our spirituality in the ceremony as it has gotten us through the tough times. Rabbi Rubin worked well with my pastor. They “married” the structure of the ceremony to mirror what we wanted. Rabbi Rubin epitomizes what it means to be a leader of Judaism, while embracing all of God’s people, regardless of denomination. It was evident during her first meeting with David and I that she would be the perfect officiant; she wanted to know our story, the message we wanted to convey and the special elements of our relationship that had been cultivated over the years. We were blessed by her presence at our wedding and her willingness to co-officiate with my church pastor; Rabbi Rubin is an example of what it means to live in God’s purpose through acts of kindness and love. We highly recommend her and we are grateful for all of her efforts to make sure that our day was unique, special and truly unforgettable.” — Nicole and David N.
Mourners
“The last few days we have had calls from people who attended our mother’s service which you so capably arranged and led. To the person, they commented on what a wonderful service this was and the thanks must go to you. It was just the right blend of the traditional prayers (I may have mentioned that our mother was raised in an Orthodox home but eventually migrated to Conservative and then to Reform Judaism) and comments from many people from various aspects of her life. If there is such a things as the hereafter, I certainly hope she and our father were listening in. He would have beamed with pride and she would have made a little face that said ‘Who, me? Really, it was nothing.’ Thank you again for your assistance, your guidance and your caring attitude. It is remarkable given that you had no prior relationship with Mom or any of her children.” — Leslie B.
B-Mitzvah Students
“I don’t know where to start! Thank you so, so much for helping me prepare for my Bat Mitzvah! I’ve learned so much about Judaism, the Hebrew language and how I relate and connect to my culture. I am so glad we were able to work with each other because it would have been so different with anyone else. I am really going to miss being able to see you every Sunday and I am going to miss our talks! I always had so much fun talking about our lives. You have helped me so much throughout the process and I am so grateful for it. You did an amazing job teaching me and I loved working with you.” — Kaya S.
“From what I know of your teaching me, you are not only a teacher, but a great one. I know, it’s a bit cliche to say this, but it’s true. I would walk down the concrete steps in your front yard, my head still buzzing about what you had told me. Often times, this happens to me with a subject in biology or chemistry, or sometimes a really good book I’m reading for English class. This feeling is magical. I get it when I want to dunk my head further into what I have just learned, I don’t get it often. But I got it with you.” — Sarah R.
B-Mitzvah Families
“I can’t speak highly enough about Rabbi Adrienne Rubin. As the mother of a dyslexic child I was unsure of how my daughter would be able to meaningfully learn what she needed to know for her Bat Mitzvah. Not only was Rabbi Adrienne an amazing teacher, she made it really fun! My daughter was prepared, but more importantly confident and excited to read Torah in front of our community. Rabbi Adrienne officiated a personal, meaningful and inclusive service that all (Jewish and non-Jewish) enjoyed. We are so thankful to her for making this important day so special!” — Melissa P.
“Rabbi Adrienne was a joy for our son Alex to work with. She kept him fully engaged and motivated. She encouraged independent thinking and examination about what it meant to become a Bar Mitzvah. Alex was spot on prepared for his big day and Rabbi Adrienne ran a beautiful service. My cousin from Pittsburgh was so impressed she said it was the nicest service she has ever been to and considered asking Rabbi Adrienne to marry her daughter the next year. Alex has continued with Torah studies with Rabbi Adrienne this year and they clearly have a deep bond, stemming from their time together. And by the way, my wife, Terese, who is from Sweden, took Hebrew lessons with Rabbi Adrienne as well.” — Jeff G.
Thank you so much for all of this, and for your attention to detail with everything! I wanted to personally let you know what an impact you had on Matty. He was beaming after last weekend, and it was more from the services than it was from the party. He felt so proud at all he accomplished, and he could not have done it without you! Thank you for your kindness, patience, and dedication to making sure Matty was the best version of himself up there. He will forever be changed in the best way possible! — Carrie S.
“Everyone kept talking about how they appreciated the way Rabbi Adrienne conducted the Bat Mitzvah ceremony. She made it educational by explaining different parts of the service yet kept it moving along. It really kept people engaged. Friends and even family who had never seen the Torah scroll up close were so enthused to have the opportunity to view it during a designated portion of the service. This was a nice personal touch by Rabbi Adrienne.” — Jessica E.