Weddings Along with celebrating the birth of a child, marriage is the most joyous of all events in the Jewish life cycle. Marriage is considered to be a sacrament. Accordingly, various  rituals,  customs,  and  laws  concerning  marriage are observed by Jewish people. A Jewish marriage must be performed by a rabbi. You  should  try  to  secure  the  services  of  a  Jewish chaplain for premarriage counseling as well as for the performance of the marriage ceremony. You should understand that many rabbis will not officiate at a marriage  between  a  Jew  and  a  non-Jew.  Many  conflicts concerning  interfaith  marriages  between  Jews  and non-Jews  have  had  serious  effects  on  the  Jewish community.  Whenever  rabbis  refuse  to  officiate  at interfaith marriages, their position should be defended unquestionably. If you are asked about the religious legitimacy  or  appropriateness  of  an  interfaith  marriage involving Jewish persons, refer the persons to a Jewish chaplain  or  a  civilian  rabbi.  A  rabbi  not  having  a personal dilemma with an interfaith marriages usually will change the content of the marriage ceremony to fit the  situation. The required objects for a Jewish wedding include a chuppah, or bridal canopy, a ring, and a glass of wine that the groom and bride will sip together. Among the rituals of the Jewish wedding ceremony is the crushing of  the  wine  glass  under  the  bridegroom’s  heel.  The stamp of the shoe and the crunch of the glass signify that the ceremony is over.   The bride and groom are then congratulated  and  the  guests  are  welcomed  to  the wedding  feast. Funerals In Judaism, the Jews take their idea of death from Genesis, where God commanded the man he made, Adam, not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, though he could eat freely of the Tree of Life. When the temptations of the serpent had led both Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden tree, God drove the pair from  the  garden.  Their  punishment  consisted  of  pain  in childbirth,  the  burden  of  toil  for  their  well-being,  and death. In  Judaism,  mourning  is  observed  elaborately. Technically,  the  death  signals  a  yearlong  observance. The purpose of the Jewish funeral and burial is both to honor  the  deceased  and  to  provide  comfort  to  the mourners. Except in unusual circumstances, an autopsy is not permitted. Burial in the earth is required and should take place within 24 hours following the time of death. In Judaism,  cremation  is  prohibited. The funeral is simple and prescribed by Jewish law, and   burial   customarily   takes   place   immediately, preferably  within  24  hours  after  death.  Following  the burial, the immediate family will observe the ritual of Shiva.  Shiva  represents  a  seven-day  mourning  period in which the members of the family will remain at home. During Shiva, other close relatives and friends may visit the  family.  Another  tradition  of  mourning  is  the Kiddish, a special prayer, which is recited for 11 months following  the  death.  The  Kiddish  expresses  the  thought that God is just and man should trust in all his acts. SUMMARY This chapter has demonstrated how worship in the pluralistic naval community, will affect the duties and responsibilities  of  all  RPs.  Considering  the  major liturgical refinement that has occurred in America, this chapter has tried to make you aware of the shifts you may encounter in both the form and the perception of worship. The information in this chapter has also provided a foundation from which you can gain insight to the needs of  specific  groups  of  people  and  apply  your  knowledge and support to the acts of worship of all the major religions.  We  have  also  tried  to  encourage  you  to recognize and show your needs to develop an open understanding of your Navy chaplain’s learned and personal   styles,   needs,   and   desires.   Many   other religious  concerns  we  have  mentioned  are  those involving naval and civic community worship, interfaith worship, inclusive language, lay ministries, changes in policies and doctrines, creative worship, major life cycle events, and the significance of history in the faiths practiced by Navy personnel. 1-33