By COLlive reporter
Photos by Chaim Tuito
Amidst war, a celebration of hope.
A huge ceremony was held on Tuesday night in the Hangar 11 event hall in the Tel Aviv Port celebrating the wedding of 10 Jewish couples.
The grooms are soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces who have been called to Gaza since the outbreak of the war with the Hamas regime on October 7.
The lingering war had led to their weddings being postponed. As an act of solidarity and brotherhood, singer and businessman Lior Narkis collaborated with Rabbi Shmuel Bistritzky, Chabad Shliach in Savyon, to make it happen.
10 chuppahs were set up, each with a chosson and kallah, a Chabad rabbi, and 100 guests in the celebration that was fully sponsored by Narkis and other generous donors in appreciation for the sacrifice of these soldiers.
“The enemy wanted to destroy and dismantle – but here we are, tonight, giving our Jewish answer: Another Jewish home and another Jewish home,” said Rabbi Bistritzky with great excitement.
Broadcast around Israel, the huge wedding celebration included words of inspiration by Tel Aviv Head Shliach Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky and Birchas Kohanim by Rabbi Elad Cohen, a Shliach in Kfar Saba.
“The war taught us that the people of Israel are all brothers and partners in one fate, so sharing our most special and intimate night with other couples who took part in the war is a decision we are proud of,” Raziel, a reservist in the Egoz guerrilla warfare unit, told Channel 12 News.
“Although we didn’t plan to have a big wedding, this project is exactly what we needed,” added Or, the commando’s future wife. “We are establishing not one Jewish home, but 10 in one evening.”
As per Chabad custom, at the sacred moment of a wedding, the nigun Daled Bavos of the Alter Rebbe was played during the ceremony.
Over the past few weeks, Rabbi Bistritzky and his wife accompanied the grooms and brides in a series of meetings, prayers, and Torah lessons.
A highlight was when all the grooms went together to the Kotel in Jerusalem for a joint prayer. There, facing the remnants of our Temple, they were addressed with emotional words by the Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau, who spoke about the inner-Jewish essence of the wedding day.
The brides participated in a well-prepared evening of separating challah with Mrs. Bistritzky and recited a joint prayer that they would merit to establish a faithful home in Israel.
“I want to thank the volunteers and donors who came together to make this exciting wedding come true and wish the dear couples happiness,” Rabbi Bistritzky added.
Yashar koach Rabbi Bistritzsky and everyone who helped make this happen. What a beautiful Kiddush Hashem and Kiddush Lubavitch! May each chosson and kallah be blessed with a binyan od-ay ad, and a long, happy, healthy life together. And many, many more simchas for them and Klal Yisroel.
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