Such a Treat!
Sunday, 29 November 2009
I love Jews. I love old Jews. And young Jews. And in-between Jews.
And I especially love to be at a Jewish wedding that is attended by lots of young Jewy-Jews. Young Jews who enthusiastically participate in Havdallah. Jews who know the words to “Sisu Et Yerushalayim” and the different versions of “Od Yishama.”. Who bask in the unbridled joy of seperate gender dancing as they entertain the bride and groom.
It’s just after 11pm. The party is just getting started. Mazal tov Jessi and Yoni!!! May your blessed union build up the House of Israel.
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Mazel tov! Sounds like fun…
It was SOOOOO much fun. Lots of Jewish music and since the families are South American, a lot of Latin music. Which got EVERYONE up on the dance floor.
Young Jewy Jews who read the news always set off a fuse. Oy
Aw Jack…what will we do with you??
The beauty of “separate gender dancing” (as you put it), is that everyone can focus on the whole purpose of their being there: le-sameach chatan ve-kallah. And you are right-it expresses “unbridled joy!”
(btw, I know the words to “sisu et Yerushalayim,” and at least two versions that I can think of, of “Od Yishama.”)
I certainly understand the beauty of separate gender dancing, having incorporated it into the first part of our Seudat Mitzvah…nearly 14 years ago! However, it is not common in a movement which prides itself on gender equality. Now, I can make a pretty good defense of separate gender dancing as supporting gender equality…but it wouldn’t get much play in my community. So I really loved that this liberal couple embraced this tradition for the first part of their reception.
And I wish that everyone knew all the words..but again, the more acculturated (or, as some might argue, assimilated) we become, the less chance that our young folks know these songs.
My son also did something similar at his wedding in Israel: separate dancing first, just as you say you did, and then just dancing; it worked just fine. I agree: it is heartwarming that the liberal couple ’embraced this tradition’ at the start of their simcha. We are all Jews, after all.
As far as the lyrics to the ‘old songs’ go, we need to educate the ‘masses’ to our tradition and culture, so that most Jews learn these as part of their Jewish education, in Israel and in Jewish schools in the gola.