Ethan conducted two Bat Mitzvah ceremonies for us. Both events were absolutely beautiful planting a memorable impact that our family will never forget. Ethan started working with my daughters months in advance of each Bat Mitzvah. He taught and educated them. He inspired them. He helped my girls reach their Bat Mitzvah evening happy, excited and prepared. The ceremonies themselves were marvelous. They had the right touch of spirituality, religion, tradition, and meaning. Ethan incorporated beautiful music, songs and prayer that matched my daughters’ personalities and both times surpassing a very broad range of family expectations. Thank you Rabbi.

–Zohar and Missy

Finding an officiant for a wedding between partners of two different faiths is not always straightforward. Luckily, Ethan proved to be the ideal choice. He got to know us and our desires for the ceremony, and also provided humor and wisdom that made us feel comfortable during a process that might otherwise feel overwhelming. Ethan really understood what would make our day as special as possible, and then exceeded our expectations with the perfect blend of tradition, heart, and personality. We’re so happy we had Ethan by our side and we can’t recommend him enough!
– Liz K

We contacted Rabbi Ethan about a year before our wedding which took place in December, 2019, and we are so glad we did! The ceremony was beautiful and exceptional. In the months leading up to the wedding date, Rabbi Ethan took the time to really get to know me and my fiancée which helped him construct the perfect ceremony.

He also took the time to suggest and teach us about some special traditional elements of a Jewish wedding ceremony, and ways to modernize it, if we wanted, like Circling and Wrapping in the Tallit, which made the ceremony all the more special.

Rabbi Ethan scheduled several sessions to go over, in detail, all of the elements of the ceremony and to answer our many, many…many questions. He also helped proofread and approve our ketubah and even found a mistake made in the Hebrew writing section.

We could not have asked for a more perfect ceremony. It was both touching and funny, and we would have not wanted it any other way. Many of our guests told us it was one of the best ceremonies they attended. We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan!

–Steve and Nancy

Ethan officiated my daughter’s wedding and he was AMAZING!  He got to know her and her fiancé and he really listened to them.  He created a personalized ceremony that was so warm and heartfelt, it could not have been more beautiful.  Ethan had people crying and laughing throughout the entire ceremony and left us all with memories we’ll always treasure.

–Julie

As soon as my husband and I started planning our wedding, I knew I needed to track down Rabbi Franzel. It had been about a decade since I last spoke to Rabbi Franzel, but I have admired him since childhood for his ability to bring enthusiasm and love to religion. I knew he would be the perfect person to hold our hands as we prepared for marriage, and planned a ceremony that we’d find meaningful. We treasured the time we spent with Rabbi Franzel, preparing for our special day and learning about Jewish traditions. Although my husband had not met Rabbi Franzel until we started wedding planning, it quickly felt like we had both known him throughout our lives. Rabbi Franzel truly got to know us as a couple. The kindness and support we received from him made it feel like we were working with family, and this was very evident to all that attended our wedding. Rabbi Franzel was integral for making our wedding day feel like the warm, intimate, love-filled day that we had always hoped for.

–Jayne L.

Ethan was a wonderful officiant for my wedding! He was helpful and responsive, and also took the time to guide us through the finer details of the wedding day itself. Thanks Ethan!

–Jay P.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Ethan as the wedding officiant for my secular wedding ceremony, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Despite not being a traditional wedding officiant, Ethan took great care to ensure that our ceremony reflected our secular beliefs and preferences. Throughout the planning process, Ethan was always available to answer our questions and offer guidance. On the day of the ceremony, Ethan was an absolute pro. He conducted the ceremony with grace, dignity, and a deep respect for our wishes and beliefs. His sense of humor and speaking ability truly set him apart as a wedding officiant. Not only was he able to convey the depth of our love for each other with eloquence and grace, but he also kept the ceremony light-hearted and enjoyable with his witty remarks and charming personality. Even my lifelong Catholic Aunt was moved to tears by Ethan's lovely words, and she jokingly said that she would convert just to hear his remarks every week! Ethan's ability to connect with people of different backgrounds and beliefs truly speaks to his talent and compassion as a wedding officiant. His ability to strike the perfect balance between heartfelt and humorous is truly remarkable. We are so grateful to have had him as our wedding officiant and would highly recommend him to anyone in need of someone who can make their special day both memorable and enjoyable. Five stars all around!

–Aidan J.

Rabbi Franzel officiated our wedding some years ago, he has performed house blessings, baby naming ceremonies, shiva services, you name it. Rabbi Franzel got to know us as individuals and as a couple and now as parents. He was invested in learning about us and our growth and personalized every ceremony. He is genuine, thoughtful, funny, caring and his singing and guitar skills don’t hurt either! You won’t find a better life cycle officiant and Rabbi who cares about you and will approach all of your life events with the necessary preparation, demeanor and cadence to ensure everything goes well for you and your family. And he also is great co-officiating and thinking creatively and with urgency if things change last minute. We’ve needed all of that over the years!

–Jenny S.

Ethan Franzel is an absolutely amazing officiant! He is warm, funny, intelligent, and spiritual. He has the ability to make you feel like he's known you forever and that is reflected in the wedding service he prepares. Everything feels custom-tailored to the specific couple. The level of religious content is also geared toward the couple. I have been to multiple weddings at which Ethan has officiated and every one was different! His warmth envelops not just the happy couple, but everyone who is present as well. Highly, highly recommend!!!
– Erika W.

Rabbi Franzel officiated at our wedding several years ago and we are still happily married! His personalized approach customized our service and had our guests laughing and crying, and was very meaningful to us. He worked well with the Cantor, coordinating appropriate music and song. ( He sings and plays guitar as well). In the ceremony Rabbi Franzel included both biblical and contemporary references which made a connection to all in attendance. Our guests were all very complimentary about our unique service. We loved working with Rabbi Franzel and know that he will go out of his way to make your ceremony very special. Be ready to give out his number as your guests will want him to officiate at their life cycle events.

–Marjorie N

Rabbi Franzel officiated at our wedding over 20 years ago and I still remember the ceremony. He projected a warmth of spirit that seemed to flow over the entire room. His words, and choice of music, which was well-coordinated with the Cantor, left me with a lasting impression. Rabbi Franzel made an happy occasion more joyous while the seriousness of the occasion became more meaningful.

–Ira N.

Ethan was the rabbi and officiant at our wedding back in 2010. Ethan is caring, spiritual, and funny, all of which are key qualities for a rabbi and wedding officiant. I have known Ethan since the early 2000s when I was in high school and he was a rabbinic intern at my temple. I always knew that I wanted him to officiate my wedding due to our deep personal connection. As soon as my wife met Ethan, she also felt a great connection to him. Ethan’s warmth makes him easy to feel an immediate bond to, even if you do not have a long history with him. He was an integral part of our wedding, weaving together storytelling, the more religious aspects of the ceremony, and even some humor. He also did a great job of explaining the various Jewish wedding rituals for those at the wedding who were not as familiar. Ethan is an amazing person and I could not recommend him more as a rabbi, wedding officiant, and spiritual leader.

–Josh A

Rabbi Ethan is warm, compassionate, insightful, and will bring your vision of a meaningful ceremony to life! My partner and I knew that out of all of the pieces of this most momentous occasion—our wedding—the piece that we wanted to dedicate the most thought and intention towards was our ceremony. We are spiritual and connect with our Judaism through several forms of spiritual practice, some traditional and some outside of traditional Judaism. Rabbi Ethan worked with us, meeting with us several times leading up to our wedding day to plan the ceremony that was directly in line with our values and the intentions we want to set for our marriage and lives together. He is easy to work with, responsive, and an amazing listener and guide. He is an excellent teacher—reminding us of the significance of marriage, supporting one another to be the best version of ourselves. He is clearly experienced — he set our expectations for what a ceremony can look like, and answered questions so that on the day of our wedding, we could be totally focused and present. Loved ones still recall many of Rabbi Ethan’s insights from our ceremony. During our ceremony, Rabbi Ethan highlighted the Jewish values that we connect the most with. We highly recommend Rabbi Ethan. He is such a joy to work with. To this day, we remain connected with him and we are forever grateful to him for the impact that he had on our special day.

– Arielle W

Rabbi Franzel took the time to get to know us and our love story, and I think this is why when Adam and I got married, surrounded by our family and friends- it felt like we were at two weddings at once- one where we celebrated joy and love with everyone there, and another where it felt like Adam and I were the only ones there- celebrating something so intimate and special- only for us. It was the best day of my life, and when Adam and I were wrapped in the Tallit together- that was the best moment of my life.. Thank you Rabbi Franzel for creating that lasting memory for us.

–Jessi