The big event took place in one of the city's best restaurants, where a Chuppa and more than 100 guests met the young couple. The ceremony was led by chief Rabbi of Bryansk Menachem Mendel Zaklos, as the crowd looked on with great interest and heartfelt emotion.
First Jewish Wedding for Russian Border Town
BRYANSK, Russia — For the first time ever since the onset of Soviet power in the USSR, a traditional Jewish wedding is taking place in the Russian border city of Bryansk. This event is not only a life-altering moment for Nachum and Ilana, but also a joyous occasion for the entire Jewish community of Bryansk.
The big event took place in one of the city’s best restaurants, where a Chuppa and more than 100 guests met the young couple. The ceremony was led by chief Rabbi of Bryansk Menachem Mendel Zaklos, as the crowd looked on with great interest and heartfelt emotion.
The groom signed the Ktuba – the marriage contract – and then he joined the bride under the Chuppa. Many of the guests were moved to tears when Nachum successfully smashed the wine glass, symbolizing the beginning of the festivities. With congratulations of ‘Mazel Tov’ interspersed throughout lively Jewish music, this was an occasion that no attendees are likely to ever forget.
“I am hopeful and even confident that this first Jewish wedding will inspire other young members of our Jewish community to embrace a path towards their national traditions,” commented Rabbi Zaklos, who is also a Chabad Lubavitch emissary serving Jews in this region.
The Jewish community of Bryansk, located near the border with Ukraine, is a member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of
