Question 1

What is kiddushin in Jewish law?

Accepted Answer

Kiddushin (קידושין) is the first stage of the Jewish marriage ceremony — the act of betrothal — in which the chatan (groom) places a ring on the kallah's (bride's) finger and recites 'Harei at mekudeshet li b'taba'at zo k'dat Moshe v'Yisrael' in the presence of two kosher witnesses. It derives from the root kadosh (holy) and binds the couple halachically.

Question 2

What is the difference between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish wedding customs?

Accepted Answer

Ashkenazic weddings include the bedeken (veiling ceremony), chuppah under the open sky, and a yichud room after the ceremony. Sephardic weddings, following the Shulchan Aruch of Rav Yosef Karo, define the chuppah as the act of yichud itself and typically include a henna night (leil hahenna) before the wedding. Mizrahi communities (Iraqi, Yemenite, Persian) observe multi-day celebrations with piyyutim and additional pre-wedding customs such as the sofreh aghd among Persian Jews.

Question 3

How much does a kosher Orthodox Jewish wedding cost?

Accepted Answer

An Orthodox Jewish wedding in the US typically costs between $30,000 and $150,000+ depending on community, city, and scale. Major costs include glatt kosher catering ($100–$300 per head), hall rental ($2,500–$15,000), music ($2,000–$20,000), the kiddushin ring ($200–$1,200), ketubah ($50–$3,000), and the mesader kiddushin ($300–$2,500). Henna celebrations in Sephardic and Mizrahi communities add additional costs.

Question 4

What streaming platforms is Kiddushin.TV available on?

Accepted Answer

Kiddushin.TV is available on Apple TV, Amazon TV (Fire TV), Google TV, and Roku TV, as well as on the web at kiddushin.tv.