Photos: A Very Warm Chuppa in -40 Degree Weather
On the morning of our daughter Esther Caytak‘s wedding, to Ruvy Litzman, we got an emergency phone call from a friend. “Your wedding is tonight, it is going to be -40 degrees, you need to rent heaters for the outdoor Chuppah ceremony”.
We immediately called all the party rentals in Ottawa, Canada, but to no avail. Nobody had any. But, we realized that it was so cold that it would not have made any difference.
We received many more phone calls from our friends….”You are not having the Chuppah outside are you?”
“We sure are…rain, snow, sleet or hail…just like the Post Office. And we have a Chassidic tradition to have the ceremony under the stars”.
People were incredulous that we were going to do the ceremony outside.
Over 300 guests came from all over the world, including Sydney Australia, Florida, Minnesota, Monsey, Phoenix, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Jerusalem and more.
The brave ones donned Hats, scarves, mitts and boots for the Chuppah ceremony. And the most miraculous thing happened, most everyone was warm!
Rabbi Lesches , Rav of the Lubavitch community in Monsey was the Mesader Kiddushin. Rabbi Markowitz (from Monsey) read the Kesubah. Cantor Moshe Kraus (Ottawa) sang Mi Adir. The simcha and the Chassidic warmth of the people warmed the crowd.
The wedding was extremely freilach, and it certainly helped that the Freilach Band from NYC came in to play. They wowed the crowd, and especially the Ottawans. The musicians and singer are exceptionally talented, having played at the HASC concert in NY recently. The music was amazing and kept everyone dancing till late into the evening.
Yudi Chein, the Ottawa caterer did an exceptional job in keeping everyone warm with soup during the kabbalas panim and a delicious meal during the wedding.
Many commented what a wonderful, simchadik, fabulous wedding this was, especially in cold, little Ottawa, Canada. An true treat for all those who attended and celebrated with Mordechai and Malka Litzman and family and Dr. Yosef and Devora Caytak and family.
Mazel tov…and all the brachos…binyan adei ad.
monsey resident
when was it -40? do you know how cold that is? it never got close to that in the history of NY
anon
The wedding was in ottawa not in monsey. The chosson is from monsey.
anonyomous
it was -20 i was at the wedding not -40!!
anonymous
maybe because of the heaters. :P
weather mayvin
Many times he actual temperature will be, for example, 25 degrees but the wind makes it fell colder, like 0 degrees, that’s called the windchill. so while its -20 degrees outside, the windchill will make it actually be -40. Happens by us in Minnesota fairly often, as it does in many other very cold climates, Ottowa included.
Hyams
We wish you a big Mazal tov from Motty, Simcha and Zalmy
guest
I was at the wedding it was -26 Celcius and -40 farenheit.
ottowa is colder than new york
Milhouse
You may have been at the wedding, but you don’t remember the temperature. It couldn’t possibly be both -26 C AND -40 F. One of those numbers must be wrong.
Here’s a clue: At -40 you don’t have to specify C or F, they’re the same.
warm at heart
Ottawa was the coldest capital city in the world that night, according to the local newspaper. -20 reading, -40 with the wind chill factor.
Beautiful simcha!
to #1, we live under 2 hrs drive from Ottowa(Mtl) & we had REALLY cold days w/ the wind factor of up to -40 deg celsius!!!!
Go Rabbi Lesches!
ur daughter-in-law :)