A Sephardi Wedding on Rodeo Drive

On Monday, one of my very best friends, Ilana Levy, was married to Moshe Joseph at Nessa Synagogue in Beverly Hills.  It was a snazzy wedding!! I flew in early to help the kallah (bride) prepare everything for the wedding, which meant unpacking boxes, running errands, and fixing up the placecards.  It was nice to meet and get to know her chattan (groom), Moshe.  They’re a sickeningly cute couple who seem to be quite well-matched.

They’re both sephardi, so many of their customs are different from what I’m used to.  For example, they don’t separate during the week before their wedding (we ashkenazi don’t see each other during the entire week preceding the wedding – some people don’t even speak on the phone during that time!).  This meant that kallah Ilana and I could go to Moshe’s aufruf, a celebration in the synagogue where the young man about to be married is called to the Torah.  Because Moshe is also a chazzan, he also led the mussaf service.

There are many differences at the wedding itself, too.  Normally, sephardim don’t really have a kabbalat panim or bedekkin (where the bride has a receiving line and the groom comes and publicly covers her face with a veil).  My friends did do this because the groom really wanted it, but it’s not normally a sephardi tradition.  Another difference is that the groom does not wear a kittel (a white robe-like garment) under the chuppah and the kallah does not circle him seven times like in the ashkenazi tradition.

The wedding was very beautiful.  There were about 150 people in attendance.  The food was great and the dancing was even better.  I really enjoyed it mostly just because I was so happy for my friend!  She looked so beautiful and I know she is so happy… Plus, I am really happy she found such a great guy who is a perfect match for her!

MAZAL TOV!!!!