The Jerusalem Post reports: Thousands of haredim – most of them Belzer Hassidim – flocked to Jerusalem over the past week and a half to celebrate the wedding of Sholom Rokeach, the eldest grandson of the Belzer Rebbe, to Batya Paneth, the daughter of Rabbi Yehiel Meir Paneth of Bnei Brak.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Guardian Photo Gallery: Belzer Wedding - One Of The Biggest Weddings Of The Past Few Years
The Guardian: Tens of thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic dynasty gather at the wedding ceremony of Rabbi Shalom Rokach in Kiryat Belz, in Jerusalem. Around 25,000 ultra-orthodox Jews took part, making it one of the biggest weddings of the past few years
The Daily Mail: The Bride Marrying Into One of World's Most Important Jewish Families Weds in Front of 25,000 Guests
The Daily Mail covered the Historic Belzer Wedding in a extensive article about Jewish weddings: Weddings are always a big occasion, but with a guest-list of more than 25,000, this traditional Jewish ceremony dwarfs even the most lavish of nuptials.Jewish well-wishers from around the world attended the Ultra Orthodox Jewish wedding to witness the marriage of the grandson of the leader of the Hasidic dynasty Belz Rebbe yesterday.
Shalom Rokeach is the eldest and only male grandchild of the Belz Rebbe, who heads one of the largest Hasidic communities in the world. Being the only male, the newlywed is assumed to be the Rebbe's future heir in leading the community.
Belz Rebbe is an ancient Polish-Jewish dynasty which was founded in the 14th Century in the Polish town of the same name. The marriage of one of its descendants, who is considered aristocracy among Orthodox Jews, is big occasion and all members of the sect from all over the world are invited.The wedding is a rare meet-and-greet opportunity for leaders of various Hasidic sects.
Thousands of Belz Hasids from the United States and Europe attended the celebration, which lasted until dawn. A number of Jerusalem streets were shut down because of the size of the celebrations.Traditional Jewish weddings consist of two separate parts, the betrothal ceremony, known as erusin or kiddushin, and the actual wedding ceremony, known as nisuin.
It was so full that some guests were forced to use binoculars to catch a glimpse of the service.After the wedding ceremony, the bride took part in the Mitzvah tantz ritual - where members of the family and honoured rabbis dance in front of her and then with the groom.The bride stands perfectly still, holding one end of a long sash while rabbis, the groom’s father, her own father or her grandfather holds the other end and dances with her.Only a few women take part in this section of the celebrations.
Members of the congregation held hands and danced during the ceremony and sweets were handed out to children before the wedding party enjoyed a traditional meal.Hasidic Jews wear clothes similar to that worn by their ancestors in 18th and 19th century Europe - and this style of attire also helps them to focus on their sense of tradition and spirituality.
The biggest Hasidic communities are found in Israel and the U.S. There also smaller groups in Canada, England, Belgium and Australia.Their lives revolve around religious study, prayer and family - and theirs is a world without television, films, the internet or secular publications.The men generally have beards and sidelocks (peyot).Women tend to wear long skirts and shirts with long sleeves and high necklines as they adhere to strict guidelines of modesty.After the women get married, they cover their heads with either scarves, hats or wigs (known as 'sheitels').
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