Growing up in Indiana, Margie was the proverbial nerd who loved to read about different cultures, religions, you name it. She always had an interest in Judaism and her parents did not attend church. She married a Jewish man and although the marriage ended, her ex-husband and she remained very friendly and she actively participated in their son’s Jewish education and social activities.
Many years later, Margie met Jo Anne in Ft Myers. One day, Jo Anne mentioned seeing an Intro to Judaism class being offered at the local Temple and asked if Margie would be interested in taking the class with her. It was the first time they realized they had more than a passing interest in Judaism. They completed the class, attended services regularly, started practicing home rituals, but never pursued it further due to job changes and an out of state relocation. However, a while later, they both ended up taking a year long class which eventually culminated with the conversion to Judaism.
After one of the meetings, the rabbi approached them and asked if they were a couple. They affirmed that fact so the Rabbi mentioned she was planning a wedding for GLBT individuals to be held in Washington, DC. That location is one of the few locations where such marriages are legally recognized. So the ceremony will take place in early April and they will have a Jewish ceremony complete with all the trimmings….chuppah, ketubah (Margie and Jo Anne selected the Micah Parker framed ketubah design entitled ‘…And My Beloved is Mine II), breaking of the glass, etc. To quote Margie: “This is all something we never thought we’d get to experience.”