01 Jul 2014
Posted by Aliyah 
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One of the exciting things on my itinerary here visiting Israel was an old high school classmate’s wedding taking place here in Israel.
Weddings take place all over the country here, and why not? There are so many beautiful locations and natural backdrops you hardly need to spend money on decor. However, guests come from all over as well, so it’s become quite normal, and appreciated, for families to order coach buses, ha’sahot, to bring guests from one location to the venue.
As I watched the hills of Israel pass me by I thought to myself, “why don’t New Yorkers do this?”
I took the ha’saha from Jerusalem along with 45 other guests from different walks of the couple’s life to Hagivah Brenner. As I watched the hills of Israel pass me by I thought to myself, “why don’t New Yorkers do this?” For a city with so few drivers attending weddings that take place in venues over the state of, not only New York, but also Jersey and Long Island, why not arrange for transportation for guests? A coach bus from the Upper West Side to a wedding would be incredibly convenient for guests. Have you ever had to watch your make up melt down your face on route to a wedding? I have, and it wasn’t pretty.
And it makes everyone feel welcome and wanted. Not just these people that you have to put on a show and impress.
The venue was delicate and had lots of greenery, delicious hors d’oeuvres to be had. The bride sat beneath what looked almost like a mini-chuppah with branches and flowers, friends and family members around her in purple, and her mother and the groom’s mother, by her side.
That’s the thing about Israel, it’s about the people, the guests. Those are the things that matter most to a wedding here.
With the sunset everyone clapped as each person walked by, something I’ve only experienced one other time at an Israeli wedding in Miami. I’m not sure what is behind this loud tradition but it seems to be a part of the wedding culture for Israelis (even though both families are actually North American). I guess it’s friendly and welcoming to each member walking down. This wedding actually had a mix of traditions so while the clapping is normal here, having bridesmaids and groomsmen is not here. I always like bridal parties as it’s a nice way of having your closest friends surrounding you.
The chuppah ceremony had some very sweet and amusing moments. One of my favorites was after the bride’s brother read the ketubah aloud, a difficult task no doubt, the groom’s brother MCing the event laughed, “well, that was a long ketubah.”
As the chuppah ceremony went on and the crowd quieted down to hear the blessings, it is not a truly Israeli wedding without a cat meowing it’s “amen” throughout the ceremony, to which everyone giggled. The groom said the traditional words, “harei at mikudeshet li” out loud declaring that the bride and groom are now joined, everyone cheered for the couple.
The rest of the wedding was incredibly fun and we danced into the night, until eventually our ride back to Jerusalem had been been pushed off 3 times. I’ve already seen a few of the professional photos and they are amazing! I’m hoping to speak to my friends and get my hands on a great big post soon, until then my iPhone photos will have to do!
