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A Traditional Wedding at the Hurvah Synagogue

This story looks to the Hassidic world for ritual nuances which can benefit the spirit and bear consideration during wedding planning.

The Hurvah Synagogue in Jerusalem is to be the site of a dear friend's wedding held in the style of the Carliner Hassidim from which he learned late in life his family descends. During yeshiva studies in Israel he was assisted in becoming engaged to another baal teshuvah, "master of return", the phrase used for a Jewish person who has newly decided to fully enter the rigorous practices of a given orthodox community.

Introduction to the Jewish Wedding

These are the elements present as part of the process for most Jewish weddings:

1. An ufruf, where the impending marriage is blessed up at the Torah during a Shabbat prior to the wedding. During this aliyah (going up) often the couple is pelted with candy, suggesting a blessing for a "sweet relationship".