What is a tisch? In Yiddish, tisch means table. Traditionally, a groom and his male friends would gather around a table before the wedding ceremony to eat, drink, sing, dance, and read the ketubah. This is when the witnesses sign the ketubah, and the groom holds up an object to symbolize his acceptance of the terms.

 

In Hasidic culture, a tisch can refer to any similar occasion, usually on Shabbat or on a holiday, when a group of men gathers around their rebbe.

 

A tisch is not only a wonderful tradition to include in a wedding, but it is also a way to bring joy into other holiday and life cycle occasions.

 

Click below to access three tisch song sheets compiled by Cantor Hinda Labovitz, Rabbi Talia Laster, and Eliana Light.