The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst

Ceremony

Summer

Our Wedding

The "Alvi" story that this wedding is celebrating began rather inauspiciously on a cold January night in 2023. Having matched on MoDate, a Modern Orthodox Jewish dating website, Avi and Ali met for their first date at Hex &amp; Co, a board game cafe near Columbia's campus. Unbeknownst to either of them, the cafe was fully booked, leading to their first date being three hours of walking around Columbia's campus talking. From that awkward seed sprouted the fruits of waffle lunches, Broadway shows, and a multi-state quest to find kosher Indian food. We can't wait to have you join us as we write the next chapter in the story of Ali and Avi.

A Comprehensive History of Ali and Avi ("Alvi")

Our Story

Overview of Ceremony

Before the Wedding: It is traditional that the&nbsp;ḥatan&nbsp;(groom) and&nbsp;kallah&nbsp;(bride) don't see each other for the week before the wedding. So, during the first events of the wedding (the Kabbalat Panim and the Ḥatan's Tisch) the ḥatan and kallah greet guests separately. Kabbalat Panim: Orthodox Jewish weddings begin with a reception called a&nbsp;Kabbalat Panim. During this reception, buffet-style food will be available and guests will be able to speak with and congratulate the kallah. For both the kallah and the ḥatan, the wedding day is like their own personal Yom Kippur (day of atonement), where they are forgiven for sins that they have committed as individuals as they are joined together in marriage. Many guests therefore choose to receive a blessing from the kallah, a tradition which developed because of her elevated spiritual status on her wedding day. Guests of any gender are welcome to join the Kabbalat Panim. Ḥatan's Tisch:&nbsp;Taking place simultaneously with the Kabbalat Panim, guests enjoy food and drinks with the ḥatan. Guests of any gender are welcome to walk between the Kabbalat Panim and the Ḥatan's Tisch. During the Ḥatan's Tisch, the Ketubah (religious marriage contract) and the Tana'im (betrothal agreement) are signed by two witnesses. The ḥatan's mother, Julia Maryles, and the kallah's mother, Jessica Winter, then break a plate together to symbolize the finality of the commitment that Ali and Avi are making towards each other. Bedeken: The ḥatan is danced into the Kabbalat Panim by his friends and family and veils the kallah, ensuring that the kallah is, in fact, Ali. This checking is done in recognition of the biblical story where Jacob, who was promised to marry Rachel, instead was deceived by his father-in-law, Laban, into marrying her older sister Leah. As this deception was accomplished by switching the daughters under a veil, Jewish tradition ensures that this cannot happen again. After the veil is placed, everyone moves to the Ḥuppah (wedding ceremony). Seating during this ceremony will be separated by gender, with women on the left side of the aisle and men on the right; children are welcome to sit with either parent. Ḥuppah: The kallah and ḥatan stand under a wedding canopy called the&nbsp;ḥuppah. The&nbsp;ḥuppah&nbsp;rests on four poles, without any walls, to symbolize the open, welcoming home they will build together. It is at this time that the main ceremony will take place. The top of the ḥuppah is formed from the talit (prayer shawl) of Ali's great-great-grandfather, Max Mindlin. Procession: The ḥatan, kallah, and their families walk down the aisle. In addition to standing for the entrance of the ḥatan and the kallah, it is also traditional to stand for the couple's grandparents as a sign of respect. Hakafot: After the kallah walks down the aisle, she circles the ḥatan seven times under the ḥuppah. Mirroring the seven days of the creation of the world, the kallah's circling symbolizes the creation of the couple's new life together. Kiddushin: The mesader kiddushin (officiant) begins the ceremony with a blessing over a cup of wine under the&nbsp;ḥuppah. Then the ḥatan gives the bride a ring in front of two witnesses, saying the formulaic line "by this ring you are consecrated to me according to the law of Moses and Israel" to signify betrothal. With this act, Kidsushin has been performed and Ali and Avi are betrothed. Ketubah: The Jewish marriage contract, the&nbsp;ketubah, is read aloud in Aramaic by the mesader kiddushin under the&nbsp;ḥuppah. Previously, the&nbsp;ketubah&nbsp;was signed by two witnesses during the Ḥatan's Tisch&nbsp;and it outlines Avi's legal and moral obligations to Ali. The reading of the Ketubah separates the two stages of the marriage ceremony: Kiddushin and Nisuin. Nisuin: Sheva braḥot (seven blessings) are recited over a second cup of wine by various guests under the&nbsp;ḥuppah. The recitation of these blessings consecrates the betrothal of the ḥatan and kallah into a marriage. Traditionally, Kidushin is the act of joining the couple's souls and Nisuin is the act of joining the couple's households. The Nisuin blessings focus on the theme of creation, as a marriage is like a miniature act of creation, wishing the couple joy and happiness in creating their new life together. Breaking the Glass: The Ḥuppah concludes with the breaking of a glass. The glass, like the broken plate of the Tana'im, symbolizes the finality of the commitment that Avi and Ali have made. It also carries the additional meaning that even in this moment of extreme joy, we recognize the sadness of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Im Eshkaḥeḥ (Psalm 137 verses 5 and 6) is sung before the glass is broken. Yiḥud: After the glass is broken, the kallah and ḥatan are danced to the&nbsp;Yiḥud&nbsp;room by their friends and family. The Yiḥud&nbsp;room is a private space where Ali and Avi will share their first moments as husband and wife. They are guarded by two witnesses to testify that privacy has been maintained. During this time, guests proceed to the reception hall to continue to the celebration. Reception: Celebrate the newly married couple with dancing and dinner! Men and women will be separated by a meḥitzah (barrier) during the first set of dancing. After the first set, the meḥitzah will be removed and guests may dance with whomever they choose. Bentching: At the conclusion of the wedding, Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals) is recited. Special blessings are added to the standard text of the prayer in honor of the marriage. Bentchers (booklets containing the blessing) can be found at your table. Guests are welcome to take a bentcher home as a souvenir. Thank you for celebrating with us!

Definitions

Ḥatan: GroomKallah: BrideSheva Braḥot: Seven blessings that are recited as part of the marriage ceremonyMeḥitzah: Barrier that traditionally used to separate genders during religious eventsBirkat Hamazon: Grace after mealsBentchers: Booklets containing Birkat Hamazon and other additional prayers that are recited after mealsSimḥa: CelebrationMazel Tov: CongratulationsḤazzan: Cantor

What to Expect

The closest airport to the wedding venue is John F. Kennedy International Airport which is about a 20 minute drive. Alternatively, flying into LaGuardia Airport is also very feasible, although is farther, around 45 minutes to 1 hour drive away. Note that Newark Liberty International Airport, while also a major airport serving New York City and the destination of most United flights, is about a two-hour drive from Long Island depending on traffic.

Flight Information

Note: Rooms in hotel block rate are available from Thursday June 26, through Sunday June 30, although you may arrive/depart outside of those dates if you wish. How to BookWeb BrowserGo to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.allegriahotelny.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=gbp_listing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Allegria Hotel Website</a>Click&nbsp;book your stay&nbsp;in the top right-hand corner of the website.&nbsp;Enter dates of stay (if guest enters dates that you are not in contract for, your discounted rate will not populate) and then click&nbsp;book your stay.&nbsp;On the left-hand side of the page, enter&nbsp;2506WIKO&nbsp;in&nbsp;GROUP CODE&nbsp;and then click update to see availability.&nbsp;Do not enter this in the promo code field.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mobile DeviceGo to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.allegriahotelny.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=gbp_listing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Allegria Hotel Website</a>Click book now (red button) on the bottom right-hand corner of the website.Enter dates of stay (if guest enters dates that you are not in contract for, your discounted rate will not populate) and then click&nbsp;book your stay.&nbsp;Click book now in top right-hand corner and re-enter your dates of stay.Scroll down and enter&nbsp;2506WIKO&nbsp;in&nbsp;GROUP CODE and then click book now to see availability.&nbsp;Do not enter this in the promo code field.&nbsp; Alternatively, you can contact the Reservations Department by phone at (516)-992-3783, Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. Outside of these days/times, guests can also call the main hotel line, (516)-889-1300 and dial&nbsp;prompt 1&nbsp;to be connected to our Reservations Department/24-hour call center.&nbsp;You will need to reference the&nbsp;Winter/Koenig Wedding Block&nbsp;to receive the discounted rate. Hotel InfoThe Allegria Hotel is located in Long Beach, NY approximately 30 minutes from the wedding venue. Long Beach is a barrier island on the Atlantic Coast, and is a popular beach destination for New Yorkers. The Allegria Hotel is located right on the beach, and includes an entrance directly onto the Long Beach boardwalk as well as towels and 2 beach passes with your reservation. Other than the beach, Long Beach is a fairly walkable town with a variety of cute shops and restaurants to enjoy. For those who want to travel into New York City, the Allegria Hotel is a 10 minute walk from the Long Beach Long Island Railroad station and about a 50 minute ride to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Allegria Hotel

Travel

Od Yishama

Hebrew Lyrics:עוֹד יִשָׁמַע בְּעַרֵי יְהוּדָהוּבְחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָלַיִםקוֹל שָשוֹן וְקוֹל שִמְחָהקוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כָּלָה Transliteration:Od yishama b'arei Yehudahuv'ḥutzot Yerushalayim.Kol sason v'kol simḥaKol ḥatan v'kol kalah. Translation:Yet again there shall be heard in the cities of Judahand in the streets of Jerusalem​the voice of joy and the voice of gladness,​ the voice of the bridegroo​m and the voice of the bride.(Jerem​iah 33:10-11) When is it sung:As the ḥatan is being danced to the kallah for the BedekenAs the ḥatan and kallah are led to the yiḥud room after the Ḥuppah ceremonyAt various other points throughout the wedding Recordings:<a href="https://zemirotdatabase.org/audio/recording460.mp3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melody 1 </a><a href="https://zemirotdatabase.org/audio/recording1168.mp3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melody 2</a>

Im Eshkaḥeiḥ

Hebrew Lyrics:אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם, תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִיתִּדְבַּק לְשׁוֹנִי לְחִכִּי אִם לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִיאִם לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַֽיִם עַל רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי Transliteration:Im eshkaḥeḥ, Yerushalayim, tishkaḥ yemini.Tidbak lishoni, liḥiki,Im lo ezkereḥi,im lo a'a'leh, et Yerushalayim al rosh simḥati. Translation:If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to work. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my chiefest joy(Psalms 137:5-6) When is it sung:Before the glass is broken at the end of the Ḥuppah ceremony (sung by the ḥazzan (cantor)) Recording:<a href="https://www.zemirotdatabase.org/audio/recording229.mp3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melody</a>

Yasis Alayiḥ

Hebrew Lyrics: יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱלֹהַיִךְ כִּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה Transliteration: Yasis alayiḥ elohayiḥ, kimsos ḥatan al kalah Translation: Your God shall rejoice over you, as a groom rejoices over his bride When is it sung: At various points throughout the wedding Recording: <a href="https://youtu.be/QSd-j6swXlw?si=O1vuxFKoCixtMtAj" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melody</a>

Siman Tov U'Mazel Tov

Hebrew Lyrics:סִימָן טוֹב וּמַזָּל טוֹבוּמַזָּל טוֹב וּסִימָן טוֹב(x3)יְהֵא לָנוּ(x1)יְהֵא לָנוּ, יְהֵא לָנוּוּלְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל(x2) Transliteration:Siman tov umazal tovUmazal tov usiman tov(x3)Yehe lanu(x1)Yehe lanu, yehe lanuUleḥol Yisrael(x2) Translation:Good sign, and good luckwill come to us.It will come to us, to usand to all Israel. When is it sung:At various points throughout the wedding Recording:<a href="https://youtu.be/CpEPrYzqU9I?t=16" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melody</a>

Ali & Avi

Ali & Avi

A&A

The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst