Heather Paul

Name: Heather Paul
Address: 403 W Illinois St, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, United States

Rabbi

Heather Paul

What brings you joy, meaning, and purpose? What are your values and passions? What are your hopes, favorite memories, and dreams for the future? Whatever your answers, I want to create a ritual that reflects them. I am a rabbi, writer, and innovative ritual artist who loves designing lifecycle experiences that are deeply personal to the individual, couple, or family walking beside me. Rituals do not mark change; they MAKE change. I want not only you, but the entire community gathered with you, to feel the effect of that transformation. The conversations we share leading up to the ritual are just as important to me as the ritual itself. Lifecycle rituals and the moments leading up to them are ripe for deep connection, reflection, and celebration. I am grateful to everyone who trusts me to join them on their journeys and I would be honored to be part of yours.

My Policies
- I am open to discussing having elements of other religious faiths at the lifecycle event
Shabbat policy
- I am willing to officiate weddings on Shabbat
No other policies or standards. I want to add that I am available to create rituals for other "underritualized" moments as well. I officiate transgender renaming rituals, divorce rituals, rituals for moving into or out of a new home, rituals for moving into a first home with a partner, rituals for going off to college - anything you can imagine. Let's create together!
Illini Hillel
Rabbi and Senior Jewish Educator
Adjectives to describe my officiating style
- Alternative
- Spiritual
- Individualized
- Whimsical
- Sense of Humor
Services I Offer
- Wedding
- Wedding - co-officiated
- Baby Naming
- Funeral
- Unveiling
Wedding Officiation Fee:
$500-$2000 depending on work required, location of wedding, and other factors. I work on a sliding scale.

Fee includes pre-marital counseling:
No

Other Fees

Baby Naming Officiation Fee:
$180. I work on a sliding scale.

Funeral Officiation Fee:
$300-$500 depending on work required, location, number of shiva minyanim, and other factors. I work on a sliding scale.

Unveiling Officiation Fee:
$180-$360, depending on work required, location, and other factors. I work on a sliding scale.
“As a queer, secular Jew marrying a non-Jewish atheist, I never imagined I would have a Jewish wedding, especially not in the middle of a pandemic. But Heather helped us design a ceremony imbued with layers of personal and cultural meaning that worked for us both. She went above and beyond in accommodating us and our family members, including remote attendees via Zoom, and arranging everything on short notice with such generosity and grace. I cannot recommend her more highly as a rabbi, officiant, and guide.”

Beatrice A.