The Jewish Wedding

     Over the years there have been a multitude of books written on Jewish weddings.Christians have researched this subject to try and understand the New Testament and most particularly the passages in the book of Revelation. There are some particularly funny parts that those not familiar with the culture miss. One of them is that within the Hasidic Community the marriages are arranged by the relatives.There is a big push to have your offspring marry well. There is the pre-engagement interview in which the mother in law and family members meet the young woman. It can be quite comical in many cases and seem like the purchase of a cow instead of a wife for the son. The son might not have much to bring to the table yet his family inspects the life and physical attributes of the young woman as though he were head of state. Can you imagine being the young woman? What if they find you unacceptable? Surely the community won't gossip when they kick you to the curve and find you a husband in Israel instead.
     Here sits the young woman dressed to the nines. She is wearing the finest clothes her family can afford.
Sitting on pins and needles enduring a panel much akin to an FBI investigation to be accepted or rejected by the family of a man she will have to serve all the days of her life. Whatever happens to her, she will have to accept as the will of God for her life. She may or may not meet the young man at this time.It may just be that the meeting takes place at the actual engagement party.
    Does this happen in America? Yes it does. You may visit the Spertus Institute in Chicago, IL and see some wonderful pictures on display that show a wedding within the Hasidic Community. Is this an arranged marriage on display? Probably. Seems far fetched and outdated? Depends on your point of view. What ever the case it is an interesting study. One of the things I find most interesting is that many of the practices we find when we view the Biblical story of Issac and Rebecca. Thousands of years of customs still in practice.

Shalom,
Dana Klein