1,500 guests from around the world attended the wedding – the largest Jewish event in the Arabian Gulf in recent history – including prominent rabbis and dignitaries. More than 20 ambassadors, including those from Japan, South Korea and Finland, were also in attendance.
The rabbi to the UAE, Rabbi Levi Duchman, married Lea Hadad of Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday, September 14, at a magnificent ceremony held at the Hilton Yas Hotel. The Rabbi’s wedding coincided with the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords signed on September 15, 2020, which saw the UAE normalize its relations with Israel. It was sheer joy and excitement in the UAE capital as guests from all around the world attended the first ever wedding of a rabbi in the country.
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Rabbi Levi Duchman, 29 from New York, has been living in the UAE since 2014 and is working to build the Jewish community infrastructure, which has flourished in great lengths in the last two years.
After being apart for the customary week prior to the nuptials at the wedding, the bride and groom were escorted to the chuppah, the wedding canopy where a Ketubah, the wedding contract, was signed where. Rabbi placed the traditional veil on his bride to protect her modesty. The new bride circled the groom seven times as part of the elaborate rituals during the grand wedding ceremony.
The couple also performed ‘breaking the glass’ ceremony which traditionally is a reminder of the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem. While it is often used as a metaphor that marriage is as fragile as glass and that couples should enjoy every day as if it were their last together. The mothers of the bride and groom together smashed a ceremonial plate, a gesture of goodwill for a long-lasting marriage between their children.
“What’s unique and special is that our wedding brought together many people who have never been to a part of the Arab world. To have them here at the wedding is not only about the event, but is an important symbol in the journey of supporting the growth of the Jewish community. It’s something that hasn’t happened before, so there has been no precedent for this.” Shares Duchman.
The event was attended by over 20 religious leaders, including the head of the Christian, Catholic and Buddhist communities in the UAE. The latest charge d’affairs of the Vatican also attended the wedding, in addition to guests including the Chief Rabbi of Central Africa, Shlomo Ben Tallila.
Popular Orthodox American singer Avraham Fried also performed at the celebrations.
The event is being seen as a demonstration and living embodiment of the Emirates’ long-standing investment in creating a culture of coexistence and religious diversity. The couple incorporated all the traditional Jewish wedding aspects. Congratulations are in order for the lovely couple as they begin the next chapter of their lives as husband and wife.
All Images Credit: @khaleejtimes
