| A happy event, such as a wedding, is called a simhah, Hebrew for "joy." What other Jewish life-cycle event have you learned about that you would also call a simhah? |
When two people fall in love and decide to marry, there are several things they must do. They must choose a date for the wedding, meet with the rabbi who will perform the ceremony, decide where the wedding will be held, and invite their guests. Although preparations for a wedding often begin many months before the ceremony takes place, the wedding celebration itself begins on the Shabbat before the wedding day.
In some communities the groom (hatan) and the bride
(kallah) are called to the Torah during the Shabbat
service. This special aliyah is known as an
aufruf, which is Yiddish for "calling up."
The bride and groom recite the blessings before and after
the Torah reading. Sometimes congregants shower the couple
with soft candies as a way of wishing them a sweet life
together. Sometimes the congregants sing a song in the
couple's honor. In other congregations, the bride and
groom are called to the bimah and stand in front
of the Ark, where the rabbi recites a special prayer for
the couple's happiness. In either case, the Jewish
community publicly expresses its good wishes.
