Weddings:
Ten days after arriving in this country, a Jewish couple from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, celebrated their marriage
with a traditional chuppah wedding. Shimon and Inna had been denied a religious celebration when they were civilly married in the Ukraine. The couple heard about Bris Avrohom in Hillside and decided to come to America, with other
family members, to partake in their 22nd Annual Wedding Celebration. On Sunday, June 3, Bris Avrohom held its Annual Wedding for 10 couples from the Former Soviet Union. The annual event began 22 years ago, and was started by Milton and Shirley Gralla, and Rabbi Mordechai and Shterney Kanelsky. Since 1985, close to 500 couples have celebrated their marriages according to Jewish law at Bris Avrohom's annual event. The "Celebration of Religious Freedom" was especially poignant this year as the couples included two sets of sisters and their husbands and a mother and daughter with their husbands in addition to the couple from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
Each couple participating in this year's wedding received gifts from Bris Avrohom with special Jewish value including a silver Kiddush cup, silver candlesticks, a Siddur, the Five Books of Moses with commentary, a book of Psalms and a Tanya. In this way, the couples can begin their new married lives in the spirit of Yiddishkeit.
Pictured are the couples, with Rabbi Mordechai and Mrs. Shterney Kanelsky.
The marriage of Rachel Schulman and Brad Cohen took place June 10, 2007, at Lake Terrace in Lakewood.The bride is the daughter of Joan Schulman of Upper Saddle River.
The groom is the son of Lisa and Alec Cohen of Edison. The bride graduated from Capri Cosmetology School, Monsey. The groom is currently working toward his Doctorate
of Physical Therapy in the Touro College School of Health Sciences, Bay Shore, Long Island. The couple reside in Merrick, Long Island.
Confirmations:
On
June 19, 2007, Temple Emanu-El of Westfield confirmed 29 10th grade students. The morning worship service included
statements of belief written by the students, who wrestled with theological questions such as why evil exists, what
is the purpose of prayer, how one can feel close with God, and what God wants from humans. During their confirmation
year, the students explored how Judaism relates to their lives and to the world around them through studying theology,
medical ethics, human sexuality, and decision-making from a Jewish perspective. The students come from the
communities of Westfield, Mountainside, Scotch Plains and Warren. Rabbis Douglas Sagal, Leah Doberne-Schor, and
Jennifer Clayman, Cantor Martha T. Novick, and Barry Merer participated in the service.