* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
I would like to share one moment of countless others that we are witnessing during these challenging days—a moment that exemplifies the courage of “ordinary” Israelis and reminds us who we are and what we are fighting for.
I received the following note from Rav David Moriya from the neighborhood of Givat Mordechai in Jerusalem:
“We are not postponing our wedding,” Moshe Zakai and Dana Levi announced last Friday, the day after the war broke out.
“Leah,” I said to my wife, “I saw an announcement on our building’s WhatsApp group about a wedding that will be taking place in our front yard. It says that all residents are invited to attend and refreshments will be served.”
Leah immediately volunteered to bake some treats and the neighbors brought down chairs and set up tables. The wedding was set for 5 p.m.
At 4:08 p.m., we received a warning about an incoming missile attack and the organizers dispersed to the safe areas.
Never in my life have I participated in a wedding in which every moment I felt overwhelmed with emotion. One neighbor came downstairs with a guitar and,before the chuppah, everyone raised their voices singing uplifting songs of faith and fortitude.
After the wedding, the neighbors spontaneously ordered falafel from a nearby store and held sheva brachot for the young couple in the lobby of our building.
At 8:34 p.m, we received a notification via our cellphone app that in the next few minutes there will be warnings about incoming missiles in our area. Between that alert and the sound of the sirens, we managed to speed through the sheva brachot and even to sing the last blessing, before running to our safe rooms.
Dear Moshe and Dana,
Traditionally people come to weddings to bring joy to the bride and groom, but this time, you were the ones who initiated such a powerful and unforgettable experience of joy for us, filling us with pride to be the people who “rise like a lion” and even during wartime continue to build and strengthen our nation.
Mazal tov!”
