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').
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
VIN Reports From The Historic Belz Wedding
VIN's Sandy Eller reports: Joy and elation are running high in Kiryat Belz as thousands are attending tonight’s historic wedding of the Belzer Rebbe’s oldest grandson. The chosson, eighteen year old Shalom Rokeach, who bears the name of the first Belzer Rebbe, is the son of the Belzer Rebbe’s only son, Rabbi Aharon Mordechai Rokeach and is the heir apparent to one day lead the Belzer dynasty.
The kallah, nineteen year old Batya Paneth, is the daughter of R’ Yechiel Meir Paneth, a magid shiur in Yeshivas Nadvorna Bnei Brak.
Ynet: Tens of Thousands Take Part in Wedding of Belz Rebbe's Grandson
Ynet News reports:Tens of thousands of haredim from Israel and the world arrived in Jerusalem Tuesday to take part in the wedding of 18-year-old Shalom Rokeach, the eldest and only male grandchild of the Belz Rebbe, who heads one of the largest Hassidic communities in Israel. Being the only male, the newlywed is assumed to be the Rebbe's future heir in leading the community.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Storify: Belzer Hasidim Kick Off Weeklong Celebration Of Wedding In Kiryas Belz
The Historic Wedding Of The Belzer Rebbe's First Grandson is Bringing Belzer Hasidim Worldwide Together For the first Time In 20 Years For A Week Of Celebrations.
A snap shot the conversation on Twitter:
FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Wedding Of The Century - August 3, 1993
(AP) _ More than 30,000 guests celebrated the wedding of a Hasidic prince in Jerusalem Tuesday.
Police closed off the Kiryat Belz neighborhood where Aharon Mordechai Rokeah wed Sara Lea Lemberger, 18, in an arranged marriage.
The 18-year-old groom is the only son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeah, head of the Belz Hasidic dynasty, nearly wiped out in the Nazi Holocaust and resurrected in Israel.
Belz spokesman Yisrael Eichler said being able to celebrate in such large numbers was itself a victory over the Nazis - ''It's the sweetest revenge there is.''
The Belz communities of Ukraine were eradicated in World War II and many followers died in the Treblinka death camp.
About 6,000 guests came from abroad. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres attended.
Staunchly observant Jews, the Belz require women and men to celebrate separately. Eichler said closed-circuit TV was set up in 11 neighborhood halls so women could watch the dancing and festive meal served male guests by more than 800 waiters.
He refused to estimate the cost of the wedding.
The male guests celebrated in a tent measuring about 460 feet by 265 feet, Israel television said.
It said 130,000 meals and 100,000 bottles of soft drinks also were prepared for the poor. Jewish tradition decrees that no wedding-crasher be turned away.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
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