We don't know this couple, but they clearly enjoyed the schtick at their wedding.

In Jewish wedding tradition, schtick is the playful, loving performance your friends and family do (usually right before, during, or right after the hora) to entertain the couple. Think of it like a variety show of weird little blessings: jokes, skits, bits, poems, parodies, signs, props, or anything that says, “We love you, and we made this for you.”

We love:

· Verbal humor, wordplay, and improv

· Joyful chaos and campiness

· Sincerity and lovingly shared inside jokes

We do not love:

· Physical stunts

· Acts that break things

· Embarrassment humor

· Bits that go on too long (unless they’re really, really good)

So please:

· Keep it short (under a minute is perfectly fine)

· Keep it kind (roast us lovingly)

· Keep it simple (no costumes or props required – unless you really want to)

· Keep it US!

1. Schtick is welcome! Just keep it short, fun, and rooted in love.

2. No need for polish. We just want to laugh and feel loved.

3. Use your words (or your minimal props).

4. We (the couple) are your audience and your fans!

5. To participate, email what you want to do (and who you’re doing it with, if applicable) to one of our Schtick Wranglers: Rachel Silverman and Dan Karlin. Feel free to reach out to the Wrangler you know, or either of them! They will make sure we don’t have multiple people or groups doing the same thing (or buying the same Real Men Marry Rabbis shirt!), and they will create an order. (You can also ask them for feedback!)

Know exactly what you want to do?

Think you maybe have an idea?

This sounds fun but you have no clue what to do?

https://forms.gle/LnE7RHzamsRjN7kE9

(Schtick Wranglers’ contact info can be found in the form.)

(Feel free to use or tweak, or come up with your own!)

We came up with these ideas of kinds of schtick we would enjoy at our wedding. Classic schtick like two people hora-whirling super fast, human pyramids, and talent acts (like the bottle dance, juggling, etc) don’t really interest us, and would make the reception feel too much like a circus for us. We’d much rather people use language to demonstrate in silly ways what they wish for us or how well they know us. Here are some examples of schtick that would definitely make us laugh!

1. Wedding FAQ Reading – Read a fake FAQ about us, and let people guess the answers:

“Q: Does Ari actually enjoy Magic: The Gathering, or is it just a bit? A: Unknown.”

“Q: What’s Sarah’s secret to sermon-writing? A: Panic and snacks.”

2. Wedding Mad Libs – Create and pass out a themed Mad Lib earlier in the night for guests to fill out. During schtick, read a few aloud, and collect the rest to give us.

“Sarah and Ari’s love is like ______ because ______.”

“In 10 years, they’ll probably be ______ and still ______.”

3. Tiny Roasts (With Love, Of Course) – Two-line good-natured roasts, perhaps ending in something sweet.

“Ari prefers to watch TV in the dark and Sarah prefers to watch with every light on… but somehow it works.”

4. “The NoyoBerg Game Show!” – A quick fake game show where people get to guess:

“Which one said this?” or

“Is this a real Sarah/Ari quote?” or

“What Would Rabbi Noyo Say?”

5. Memory or Made Up? – Read short “memories,” some true and some fake, and guests get to guess what’s real.

“Ari once impressed Sarah with a monologue about waffles. True or false?”

*For things that involve people guessing what’s real, you can request that we submit real life examples!*

6. Quick Blackouts – If you’re in the improv/sketch world and want to write a very short sketch about us, we’d love to see it!

7. Silent Skits of Our Greatest Hits – A couple people pantomime how you think our first date, engagement, etc. went like charades.

6. “Schtick-in-a-Bag” – Each table is given a bag with 3 random items (e.g., a kazoo, a rubber band, and a paperclip). The table must write a one-sentence toast using all three. A guest from each table can read theirs aloud during schtick.

7. The Torah of Wedding Advice – Someone holds up a big ol’ scroll of fake “Torah” wisdom and reads some fake Torah quotes.

“And Moses said: Thou shalt not stay for the 10pm show without telling thy wife.”

Camp Awards – Someone plays a director from “Camp NoyoBerg” and presents us with posters or paper plates of silly fake awards.

“Best Use of Snacks in Conflict Resolution.”

“Most Likely to Reorganize the Tupperware at Midnight.”

Literal Interpretations – People can hand us imaginary (or real!) objects with very literal commentary.

“This small rock, for your rock-solid relationship.”

“A rubber band, may your communication always remain flexible.”

12. Magic: The Gathered Here Today – Someone presents custom-designed Ari-themed, Sarah-themed, or NoyoBerg-themed “Magic: The Gathering”-style cards.

No purchase necessary! You can print free custom-designed MTG cards at: https://cardconjurer.app/

Or draw it yourself on a poster!

13. “Real Men Marry Rabbis” – Sarah’s cousin and Schtick Wrangler Rachel (also a rabbi) created a shirt with this slogan, which was presented to her husband during their wedding schtick, and we would absolutely love this to happen during ours.

https://tinyurl.com/RMMRshirt – Ari is a size L! Colors (that are neutral and readable) that he would wear: asphalt gray, heather blue, steel green, heather ice blue, heather gray, steel blue

If it makes us laugh or smile, or makes us feel like “Wow, these people know us,” then it’s perfect. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!