Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek

It’s not 1952 anymore - nobody is scandalized that people live together before marriage, and thankfully, nobody is getting married because single women don’t have economic agency. So what does it mean for a modern couple to get married? We often think in terms of things we won’t do: we won’t leave, we won’t stray. Those are minimum requirements, not aspirations. The question of marriage is what will you do when - inevitably - love feels distant, and you are hurt or disappointed? I work with couples of all faith backgrounds who are as serious about their marriage as they are about their wedding and are ready to address that question.

I am a couples counselor and rabbi focused on making sure your ceremony is perfect, and your marriage is strong. I work with couples of all faith backgrounds and none, with the belief that just as Hinduism has given the gift of yoga to those who do and those who don’t “identify” as Hindu, and Buddhism has given the gift of mindfulness to those who do and those who don’t “identify” as Buddhist, so too does Judaism give the gift of emotionally intelligent communication as a spiritual practice to to those who do and those who don’t “identify” as Jewish.

In three words: Calm, Empathetic, Supportive