Cheryl and Prav’s Jewish-Hindu Islamorada Wedding Weekend

People always ask me..”What is the most unique wedding you have ever performed?”  I’m assuming they want to know about exotic locations I’ve been to, but unique weddings means something very different to me.
When I think about my most unique weddings, I immediately think about the unique relationships I have formed, not only with my [...]

Mickey and Jennifer’s Jewish-Chinese wedding in Key West

On Sunday, November 8th, I had the honor of performing Mickey & Jennifer’s wedding, at The Hemingway House, in Key West, Florida.
Jennifer & Mickey's Interfaith wedding location at Hemingway House in Key West
Chuppah at The Hemingway House, Mickey & Jennifer's Interfaith wedding
Mickey and Jennifer are the sweetest couple, incredibly kind, loving, and so wonderful to [...]

What to expect at an Interfaith Wedding

This is a copy of the article I wrote that was recently published on www.surviveweddingseason.com – Enjoy!
Attending an Interfaith wedding can be a major source of anxiety for many wedding guests, these days. Many of us have attended weddings in our own house of worship. But when your family friend or relative tells [...]

Jersey begins….

I’m so excited.  This is a divine weekend, for sure, and I have been so looking forward to its arrival.  There is such an amazing story about how I got here, which I will tell later, but, for now, the beauty of the fact that I am here is enough.
So, tonight begins Max’s Bar Mitzvah [...]

The beauty of Jewish – “done right”

I just read Rabbi Lev Ba’esh’s post over on www.Interfaithfamily.com, one of my most favorite Interfaith relationship resources, and was touched by how similar our experiences and positions are on performing Interfaith ceremonies.
Anyone who reads my story on my website, www.mypersonalcantor.com, knows that when I married Wayne, my Christian ex-husband, the list of available Rabbis [...]

David, Katie, and The Lyceum

What is a Lyceum, you might ask?
Well, Wikipedia tells us:
A Lyceum can be

an educational institution (often a school of secondary education in Europe), or
a public hall used for cultural events like concerts.
Mount Lyceum (Λύκαιον Όρος). The holy mount of the Arcadians.

The precise usage of the term varies among various countries.
But, for me, the Lyceum in [...]

Finishing up with October – where did it go?

Gee, another month I just pulled down from the calendar.  It seems like yesterday I was getting ready for Rosh Hashanah, but a full month has flown by, and the end of the year is coming up so quickly.  I couldn’t step into November, without writing about the rest of October.
Last weekend, I officiated my [...]

Z & E’s B’Nai Mitzvah – Another favorite for sure!

I just can’t figure out how each ceremony I do becomes my favorite!  I have so many favorites, I just don’t know how to classify them all, and this past Shabbat morning was no exception!
E&Z (names removed for privacy) – A brother/sister team that shared their special day quickly worked their little ways deep into [...]

About Cantor Debbi Ballard

I have a rich and varied background that brings me to where I am today. As a child growing up in a Conservative Jewish community, I was mesmerized and transformed by the musical experience of singing in synagogue with my family. Our Jewish holiday celebrations and lifecycle events became the most special [...]

Keeping it in the family…

As if helping people, working with them at their happiest times in life, and traveling all over the world isn’t good enough – there’s yet one more reason why I absolutely LOVE what I do. That reason is my friend Liz’s family, for whose family I have truly become “Their Personal Cantor”. Let me tell [...]

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