Getting Married

The wedding plans have been made in light of the pandemic. All of the appropriate advisories have been dealt with and the venue is COVID-safe. All done with lots of planning. All done!

And then, the shock! War in Israel.

If I told you that one wedding is challenged by both pandemic and war, you would think I’m writing fiction. But you know better, and so do we all.

And yet, this wedding will be a triumph. The beautiful kalla will be met at the chuppah by the handsome chatan. They will rejoice and commit to building a Jewish home.

This is the wedding of our granddaughter to her chosen, a young man whom we will soon embrace as our grandson. This young couple will drink from a full cup and make sure that their wedding is the wedding of their dreams, a day to remember with joy.

I remember a wedding in Jerusalem. There was no pandemic. There was no war. Two families, one from New Jersey and one from London, parents and grandparents, siblings and friends, united in a scene that seemed like a painting, a panoramic view of the ancient Holy City in the background as this bride’s parents were married. Wasn’t it yesterday that we celebrated that wedding? Our daughter and our new son. Time has flown indeed. And now, they themselves are the parents of the bride!

We’ve already shared a pandemic wedding in our family. And it was perfect. Our grandson married his bashert just a few months ago, and it was a great moment in our lives as we gained a wonderful daughter and united with yet another outstanding family. All necessary accommodations to kick the pandemic were in place in a breathtaking waterfront setting. Even the custom made masks were a tribute to bucking the pandemic, souvenirs which we will keep forever! The wedding was perfection. The reception was passionate, embracing the love that we Jews share with celebrations. Foot stomping. Singing. Noisy and thrilling dancing and tributes. It could not have been more!

And so it shall be yet again. Perhaps a ceasefire will stop the flames and restore the planes. That is a prayer for the wedding and for the peace of our Israel. We have lots of family, close relatives, that we need to share our simcha with. May God make peace in Israel and bring joy to our young couple.

But, even if peace has a later arrival, there’s something that we know. This magnificent pair will always be a source of pride to our family and the Jewish world. They will do great and amazing things and their brilliant contributions will bring love and tolerance and Jewish living to our people. May they be blessed with health, happiness and peace! Mazal tov.