Odds are you’ve been to a ‘corona wedding.’ A smaller version of the celebration we know and love, tailored to the safety restrictions of the current pandemic. Since the spread of the coronavirus began, families around the world have had outdoor chuppahs, with fewer guests.
That has, of course, saved money that was once spent on lavish ceremonies. Unfortunately, however, the benefits are not so simple:
“Without guests, there are no wedding gifts,” says a family member of a recent Beit Shemesh bride. “Sure, the ceremony is simple, but you still have to buy the dresses. You still have to get food for the people who are coming, plus now it all has to be individually portioned instead of the more affordable buffets.
But the most worrying part is – What about the couple’s home after the chasuna?
When I got married I relied on gifts to be able to get a washing machine, a dryer, an oven. Now couples may have a smaller party but they are going into their married lives with nothing.”
One family who is experiencing this on an extreme level are the Rotmans, from the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem. The Rotman family has had an overwhelming whirlwind of tragedies and simchas in recent years. One son recently lost his life to cancer. Another younger son was then diagnosed as well. He survived and is now in remission.
The younger son, Yitzchok, is now getting married.
The Rotmans’ simcha is, unfortunately, overshadowed by the intense grief of their loss. It is also an immense joy, a celebration of the fact that Yitzchok has lived to see this day.
His parents are desperately poor, as many are after long-fought medical battles.
As Yitzchok and his kallah approach their special day, they lack the things they need to make a simple wedding and furnish a simple home. After what they have been through, they hope desperately to have as much joy, and as little humiliation, in the experience as possible.
A chasuna fund has been started to help them.
As we all adjust to this ‘new normal’ with regards to simchas, it is important to keep in mind that for some, smaller is not always easier. Those who donate to help Yitzchok, however, can escort him to his chuppah in the deepest sense of the word.
I find it that my friends who are from CH do not get gifts (only from their young friends). Not sure why but out of towners do get gifts from everyone, young and old. I guess because out of town places are more of a “community” rather than just a big neighborhood with lots of yidden.