Welcome to Irishrabbi.com, the website of Rabbi Mark R. Newton.
Why "Irish Rabbi?" When I originally chose this website name, I thought that I was surely the
only rabbi in the world with an Irish passport. Since then I've learnt there are one or two
others out there.
Now as it happens, I was born, raised, and currently live in the United States.
Nevertheless, I am very proud of my Irish citizenship and heritage. I am also privileged to live in New England -- a terrific part of the country in which to enjoy both the Jewish and Irish experiences.
Since 1991 I have been performing weddings, civil unions, commitment ceremonies, baby namings
and other Jewish life cycle events. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and what I do, in order to help you decide how I can be of service to you.
My rabbinical ordination is from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College where I graduated in 1991, with a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters. Prior to my seminary studies there, I graduated with a B.Sc. in Languages from Georgetown University's former School of Languages and Linguistics, now the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics at Georgetown University. In preparation for university study, I attended the Carl-Friedrich von Siemens Oberschule-Gymnasium in the former West Berlin. (A European "gymnasium" has nothing to do with an American gym -- rather it is a school of higher learning something akin to a junior college.)
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For many years now I have enjoyed providing rabbinical services and support for couples in the process of celebrating their union.
I work with couples where both partners are Jewish, as well as with couples where only one is Jewish. In essence, I serve as your spiritual guide as you begin to create your own special and unique family unit. I assist you through the process of creating a warm, beautiful and meaningful ceremony that reflects Jewish values and often includes rituals from other ethnic traditions.
As I am also a cantorial soloist, you may be assured of a pleasant musical experience as well!
I am also proud to officiate at gay and lesbian partner celebrations, be they commitment ceremonies, civil unions, or fully recognized marriages. With recent legal victories, the geographic jurisdiction possibilities have greatly expanded. In the United States, full marriage rights are recognized in Massachusetts , Connecticut , Vermont (starting September 2009, but in the meanwhile, civil unions are recognized) and Iowa . Civil Unions are recognized in New Jersey . A few other states recognize marriages performed in jurisdictions where it is legal. As of June 2005, fully legal same-sex marriage is now available in all provinces and territories of Canada. Some provinces may have residence requirements, but check with the civil authorities of each jurisdiction to note any recent changes.
There have been a number of recent changes made in Québec civil law regarding marriages.
Most of these changes make the paperwork easier. Please see
The official Québec government website for further information.
Il y a quelques changes faites à la fin de 2005, qui concernent les mariages
au Québec. La plupart de ces changes allège la paperasserie. Veuillez visiter le site officiel du Gouvernement du Québec pour plus renseignements.
Je parle français et je peux bien diriger une cérémonie bilingue pour vous!
I have often been asked if I will perform a service for couples where neither partner is Jewish, and the answer is -- yes. In the course of my career, I have met many religiously unaffiliated people who nevertheless wish to have their life cycle events celebrated in a spiritually enriching way by a member of the clergy. For such couples I have created non-denominational ceremonies which incorporate rituals from many traditions.
My usual geographic area includes Metropolitan Boston, all of New England (New Hampshire, Vermont,
Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island), most of New York state,
and certain northeastern seaboard cities, such as New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, etc.
I am flexible in considering other locations, especially Canada, Europe, Florida, and the other parts of the U.S.A.
Another question I am often asked is whether I will conduct a ceremony outside of a
synagogue. The reality is that with very few exceptions, the vast majority of weddings
I have officiated were held in a "religiously neutral" location. Here is a short list of some of
my favourite venues:
MIT Chapel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
The Red Barn, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
The Saphire Estate (Manor), Sharon, MA
Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Wellesley, MA
Kirkbrae Country Club, Lincoln, RI
The Hampshire House (Site of the Sitcom “Cheers”)
Auberge des Gallant, Ste-Marthe, QC, Canada
Le Windsor, Montréal, QC, Canada
Sunnyside Pavillion, Toronto, ON, Canada
The Old Mill Inn & Spa, Toronto, ON, Canada
Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Ireland
You may have seen portions of a ceremony I performed aboard the Moshulu, which was featured on
The Style Network
in a series entitled Whose Wedding is it Anyway? .
For that Irish-Jewish and somewhat (*ahem!*) "Pirate themed" wedding, I had the privilege to
work with wedding consultant Mark Kingsdorf of
Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, Philadelphia, PA
For more information, please e-mail me and I will be pleased to send you an FAQ which will answer
most of your questions about my background, experience, philosophy and availability.
(So as not to delete your e-mail by mistake, please put the word WEDDING in the subject field.)
I can also be reached by telephone at 617-520-8002.
I do update this site from time to time, so be sure and refresh your internet browser history so as to find the latest updates. Please come back and visit!
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Síocháin!