Rabbi Sara recently officiated at the wedding of my son and daughter in law. She was very easy to work with and was a good listener. She arranged a call with the "kids" who lived on the East Coast and answered all of their questions. The ceremony itself was so lovely. Not only did she explain the customs & traditions to the guests, but she also managed to include them in the ceremony in a most lovely manner. I would heartily recommend Rabbi Sara as a wedding officiant. read more

My husband and I were looking for a spiritual wedding officiant who would let us have some say in how the ceremony goes. While we were searching, we found that most religious options had us committing to vows we didn't fully understand, or ones we simply couldn't make in good faith. It's a fine line between orthodox and spiritual--as well as a fine line between spiritual and new-agey, and we didn't want too much of either orthodox nor new age. How do you get authenticity, spirituality, equal respect for both partners, and all while not already belonging to a spiritual community? Enter Rabbi Sara. First of all, Rabbi Sara exudes warmth and wisdom. This immediately gave us confidence that we were in good hands and that we were being heard in our wishes. We were working with someone genuinely a practitioner and expert in Judaism, while being attuned to the 21st Century. Rabbi Sara explained every part of the ceremony and was willing to talk or meet as much as we needed to ask questions and discuss the meanings and details of the ceremony. I highly recommend Rabbi Sara (even if you're not Jewish)! read more

Rabbi Sara is a gem. Her officiating at our wedding this year was one of the most memorable parts of the whole day. From the start, Rabbi Sara was professional, setting up time with us for a video call so we could get to know each other. We then set up a face-to-face meeting where we could all get to know one another in person and discuss our vision for the day. Rabbi Sara brings a wealth of experience officiating weddings of all shapes and sizes. We valued the suggestions and templates she provided that ultimately set up a successful wedding day. The ceremony was beautifully run. Rabbi Sara has presence. She adeptly orchestrated and executed all aspects of the ceremony and made people feel comfortable by explaining each step along the way. I loved her suggestion to pass the microphone around the audience that allowed everyone to verbally say something to us. It was an incredible way to connect everyone in the room. After the ceremony Rabbi Sara even stayed and danced to the bluegrass band we had set up for our cocktail hour. She has a radiant energy about her and I highly recommend her as a wedding officiant. read more

We had a fantastic wedding ceremony with Sara Shendelman. Many of our guests told us that this was the best ceremony they had ever seen. We met with Sara at her home and discussed our many concerns. My wife is Buddhist and I'm atheist and the guests were mixed Christian, Buddhist and Jewish and yet Sara pulled it off beautifully and everybody was happy. We were so lucky she had an opening for us. I'm so glad Sara agreed to be our officiant. :) read more

I can not possibly overstate how wonderful our experience was working with Rabbi Shendelman!! When the Supreme Court decisions were announced we decided to have our wedding on Labor Day Weekend 2013 (the closest 3 day weekend from the decision). That gave us about 6 weeks to plan our wedding in its entirety. We pulled it off with 70 guests at the Sheraton Palo Alto with the whole sha-bang! Rabbi Shendelman was the icing on the cake. Because of her, the ceremony was fabulous. Our guests raved about how loving and inclusive and FUN the ceremony was for them! She offered the guests the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way that neither they nor we had experienced at a wedding ceremony before. We interviewed other wedding officiants and we felt an instant connection with Rabbi Shendelman. She has a grace and knowing way about her. She quickly got to know us and walked us through the development of a very personal and meaningful ceremony. The day of the wedding she provided words of wisdom that not only kept us present but added a spiritually fulfilling energy to the proceedings. We did not discover Rabbi Shendelman through Yelp, but we are so happy to be able to write this review that others might decide to include her wonderful soul on their special day!! Thanks!! read more

We couldn't be happier that we chose Rabbi Sara to officiate our wedding. During the process of choosing an officiant she was so wonderful. We instantly felt that she was the right person for us. Rabbi Sara has a truly magical presence. She officiated our wedding during a global pandemic with so much grace and love. We decided to move ahead with our wedding despite COVID, and didn't know what to expect for a Zoom wedding, but Rabbi Sara made our wedding spectacular. She brings with her a lot of love, joy, happiness and magic. We had guests from all over the world and everyone felt the same. Our family and friends sent us messages after our wedding saying they couldn't believe how beautiful the ceremony was. We are eternally grateful to Rabbi Sara not just for marrying us, but for bringing joy and love to all our friends who attended our wedding during a very difficult time in the world. If you're considering whether to hire Rabbi Sara, please don't even think twice-GO FOR IT! She will make your wedding ceremony the most beautiful memory for you and your partner and your family and friends. Rabbi Sara, you're love and light. Thank you so much! Love from Kevin and Pamu read more

Rabbi Shendelman did my daughter's naming ceremony and was my kids' Hebrew School teacher. She's a great scholar as well as a loving and caring rabbi. I wish all rabbis in the Bay Area were as devoted and available. read more

My husband and I had already been together for 12 years prior to having Hank wed us. Neither of us had been in a hurry to marry. Then, my fiance found out his mother was gravely ill and the two of us needed to fly out of the country to see her and her side of the family right away. We decided we wanted to get married before leaving US soil. We called Sara at the last moment, to see if she could marry us within a couple of hours. She returned our call with a willingness to wed us that very day. We would have chosen her as our officiant had we not been lucky enough to speak with another officiant by phone right after calling her phone and leaving a message on her machine. This positive review is based on Sara's flexibility (that she was willing to wed us if the other person we reached, couldn't). Also, Sara was very nice on the phone and seems like a genuinely big-hearted person who is passionate and dedicated to her profession! read more

We booked Rabbi Sara a few years back for a nondenominational ceremony. She told us that we could write our own ceremony and she would do whatever we wanted. Fast forward to just before the ceremony and she changed her tune. She said she had a format that she stuck to and that was what she was going to do. All of a sudden during our wedding she decided that she would sing, ring bowls, and make us recite parts of our ceremony in Hebrew? Yiddish? Not sure as neither of us are Jewish. She forced parts of her views on us and made the ceremony vary awkward for us and our families. After the ceremony she grabbed food for not just herself but for 2 other people we hadn't invited before my wife and I had a chance to eat. She then came back later and packed Tupperware with food from our reception to take home with her. Our families and friends still talk about the bizarre behavior she displayed at our wedding. UPDATE: Rabbi Sara has responded and I would like to talk about her rebuttal point by point. 1) "Perhaps afterwards they wish they had done it differently." Answer: No. We provided her with a plan for the ceremony a full week before. We requested certain things and gave her a fully written plan as to what we wanted. On the day of our ceremony she showed up and said she didn't have the printed plan that we had put into her hands. She then proceeded to do what she wanted against our wishes which included singing, ringing bowls, asking our guests to toast us during the ceremony, and making us say parts of our vows in a language neither I nor my wife understood. 2) "As for bringing someone; I was supplying the sound system for free and brought a helper along to help me carry the heavy pieces (my daughter). This is quite normal for any vendor." Answer: Again no. My father in law paid to have someone come in to hook up the speakers, run the mics, and provide the music cues. No one was needed to help lug in any equipment for Rabbi Sara. If someone drove her to the site that would be fine but... 3) "At the end of the reception, one of their friends who was in charge of the food which was delivered said there was way too much left and would I please take something home. I was handed a pan which I accepted." Answer: *sigh* NO. Lets start at the beginning of this misstatement, "At the end of the reception," Rabbi Sara took off well before the reception was at its middle point. Before my wife and I had a chance to go to the buffet to get our food Rabbi Sara had helped herself to large quantities of what we had provided. She then went off with two people away from our reception and fed the unnamed wedding crashers with food we had paid for. My wife and I found out about this only as we sat down with our own food and watched with our own eyes as she walked off with her guests. When we arrived at the buffet we had paid for we found that there were certain foods that we never got to try. I can't say for certain that it was because we were deprived of that because of Rabbi Sara but it doesn't help put your mind at ease when you find out someone has been hogging food for uninvited guests. Later we observed Rabbi Sara coming back to the buffet and loading up more food that she then walked away with. No one handed her "a pan." But she seemed to have the means to take food home with her. Numerous guests complained to us about how she took liberties with our buffet. P.S. After she had been away, and we thought gone, for more than an hour she strode back into our reception to make my wife and I take a picture together for her camera. Although we were both totally done with her behavior we squeezed together a smile and sent her off with her two unnamed companions. 4) "I gladly offered them a free service if they would ever want that." Answer: No free service was ever offered and why would it be if you thought you had done your best? My wife and I had one wedding that we put together with our hard effort with just the help of a few friends, family, and very little money. We did all the big work and on the day of our wedding Rabbi Sara couldn't honor our wishes. It just became the Rabbi Sara show. If you want to offer us a free service then you can return what we paid for our wedding and I'll delete both the review and the stain you placed on the memory of our wedding day. read more

Rabbi Sara gave us a ceremony far more beautiful than we imagined. We wanted something non denominational, as neither of us has a particular religious affiliation, and she was truly accommodating to our wishes. She worked with us every step of the way, she was available whenever we needed, and she went far beyond our expectations to ensure that our ceremony was special and lovely. Her professionalism, kindness, wisdom, and loveliness is exceptional. I recommend her to anyone for a fabulous ceremony. Our guests loved the ceremony, and they loved Rabbi Sara. Also, she is a great photographer! She sent us some gorgeous photos after the wedding. read more

We were so happy to have Rabbi Sara as the officiant at our wedding ceremony. Rabbi Sara was so easy to work with. Before the ceremony she really made me feel comfortable. This was great especially since I was nervous! Rabbi Sara performed a beautiful ceremony and was absolutely wonderful. She was very open to what we wanted in a wedding ceremony and obliged to our requests. She also provided her own ideas which we loved. We definitely recommend Rabbi Sara for any couple looking for an open and very calming officiant. read more

My husband and I came from Christian and Catholic backgrounds. This was not our first marriage and it was extremely important to me that we get the "best person" to unite us and our blended families "under God". We felt very blessed with Rabbi Shendelman. She made our wedding a beautiful, memorable experience. She even turned an awkward situation (when his teenage daughter called his cell phone that was in his suit pocket in the middle of the ceremony). She smiled and began to dance to the ringer's song! Lol. I would highly recommend her to anyone who wants real blessings at their wedding! read more

We could have not been happier with Rabbi Sara. Her ceremony was perfect and our guest are still talking about how original and special the ceremony was! Thank you so much! Hope to you see you again soon! We would highly recommend Rabbi Sara if you are looking for a rabbi for your wedding! read more

My husband and I struggled to find a wedding officiant, partly because while we knew some of the elements to the ceremony that were important to us, we felt stuck about how to proceed. Just two months or so from the big day, we spoke with Rabbi Sara on the phone and knew she was the one for us. She insisted that creating a meaningful ceremony didn't necessarily require a lot of time, and it didn't. We met with her twice at her Berkeley home (she was always accommodating about scheduling), did some fun homework (consisting mostly of reading other people's vows and ketubahs for inspiration), and came up with something that everyone loved. She provided a lovely chuppah, too, which was going to be a hassle, and expensive, to rent on our own. I am not Jewish, and Rabbi Sara was also very welcoming of my experiences. She explained things, was never patronizing, and helped me find a way to recognize some of the other faith traditions in attendance. She recognized the importance of the situation, but also the fun/joy. At the actual ceremony, Rabbi Sara was also great at going with the flow--when one of our youngest guests made a comment about the rings, she brought them over for him to see and incorporated it into the ceremony. Moments like that made the ceremony really special. I highly recommend working with Sara! read more

We were guests at this very genuine ceremony. It was wonderful to see an ancient Jewish traditions adapted to our new, modern world, world that tolerates much more than anything anybody could imagine some forty years ago. Rabbi Sara's words brought peace, calmed questions and allowed everybody, regardless of religious denomiation, feel at home. She spoke of a light as a bleesing of love to the married couple. She invited everybody to send thier blessing to the bride and groom. It was very beautiful. I took my husband's hand, we looked into each other's eyes, and it felt like we are getting married again, here in the presence of friends and total strangers. I hugged my daughter, who was sitting on my laps. She was quiet, snuggled in my arms. She was listening. She was mesmerized. She is only five. Another prayer in Hebrew. it didn't seem old. It only reminded us about our roots, our ancestors, who also suffered, waited, fell in love, got married, celebrated and had children. i suddenly felt the connection to those who were before us, and who promised us the only one thing that The Love will alway prevail. It was a great pleasure!!! read more

Rabbi Sara created a heartfelt, powerful ceremony on our wedding day. The way she officiated was warm, deeply spiritual and inclusive of the entire community in attendance. While following the tradition of Judaism, she was able to reach guests of all faiths and put us at ease, too. Thanks, Rabbi Sara! We highly recommend her. read more

Rabbi Sara Shendelman is the most sincere, deep, lovely, funny, brilliant, and kind wedding officiant. We met a few others first, in our search for a truthful and personal ceremony. She officiated our wedding last week end. With only a few days to prepare, she met with us, made many suggestions for the ceremony, accepted our choices, listened to our opinions, and produced the most beautiful off-the -charts moving, meaningful, precious ceremony, completely tailored to our histories and our needs. What a magnificent woman to work with! We will both be ever grateful. It was a small event but each guest expressed their delight with Rabbi Sara and the wedding ceremony. read more

Rabbi Sara is a light of healing and inspiration in our world. I have attended presentations by Sara and worked with her in her consultation services. She has extensive experience working with people of all ages along with a very deep understanding of religion and spirituality. Her voice is beautiful and her singing and music resonates with true spirit. I know from personal experience and reports from others that she has a very professional and intuitive ability to help others in time of need, establish true spiritual connections and celebrate with the Devine in memorable ways that will stay with you for years. Although she will work with you on cost, the value you will receive will be worth more than the price that is set. read more

Rabbi Shendelman is truly one of my favorite wedding officiants in the Bay Area. If you're looking for someone with a sincere spiritual approach, who enjoys getting to know you and to understand what is important in your relationship, and who is truly artistic in crafting just the right words... Rabbi Shendelman is the perfect match. She is a loving person and accepting of people of all religious persuasions and supportive of every type of marital union. One of my couples was so moved by their experience with her, that on their first anniversary, they came back to the region and asked her to do a vow renewal. Whether you are planning a Jewish wedding or simply want an amazing officiant for a non-denominational service, do not hesitate to call Rabbi Shendelman! read more

Rabbi Sara officiated our wedding last fall and did a wonderful job. We received numerous compliments about the ceremony from our guests. Rabbi Sara was easy to work with and flexible, allowing us to customize portions of the ceremony, yet still keep the traditional structure and feel of a Jewish ceremony. In addition, Rabbi Sara provided explanation throughout the ceremony for our guest not familiar with the elements of a Jewish wedding. She did a nice job blending explanation/context, ceremonial, elements and levity throughout the ceremony. She created something very special for my wife and I and all of our guests. Definitely one of the highlights in a wedding filled with many. read more

Rabbi Sara was just wonderful. We are from Chicago so before flying out to Berkeley, we spoke with Rabbi Sara through Skype a few times so that she could get to know us better and tell us how she structures the ceremony. We were nervous about everything going according to plan since we were planning a wedding from out of state, but Rabbi Sara made sure everything was perfect. She visited some restaurants for us and told us good vendors to use. We also are a same sex couple that got married on Shabbat, so we were thrilled that Rabbi Sara was able to accommodate us! We especially loved how in the ceremony every one of our guests were given an opportunity to say some words to us. We had 30 guests, and everyone loved that intimate aspect of our ceremony. It was very unique and special, and such an amazing day!! read more

Sara was great. I'm basically allergic to religion, and she was able to create a really positive and unique experience without triggering anything. Very glad we found her. read more

This is an overdue review. Rabbi Sara is the ultimate professional. She is truly the best at what she does. She was so very patient with me and my now wife. She listened to our concerns, she offered sage and straightforward advice and tried hard to accommodate our wishes. Thanks to Rabbi Sara the ceremony ended up being a very special, very intimate and a very memorable affair. Both my wife and I are grateful that Rabbi Sara was the one to start us on our journey. Highest praise and endorsement possible!!! read more

Rabbi Sara officiated a baby naming ceremony for my son last April. We were so happy to find her, since it is unusual to have a baby naming ceremony for a boy without a bris. Not only was the ceremony that she created and lead beautiful, but she was an incredible support for myself and my husband. She was available by phone to talk, was open minded and offered advice and support that was much needed at the time. She made putting together a ceremony while having a new baby very easy and worry free. We will always be grateful for the beautiful ceremony and all the support. read more