I went to a wedding last night. This isn't such an odd thing in that yesterday was the 33rd day of the Omer (otherwise known as L'ag b'Omer, which means, well, 33rd day of the Omer. I've mentioned Jewish holiday naming before.) The Omer is the 49 day (we count each one) period between Passover and the holiday of Shavuot, which means "weeks". Because 49 days = week of weeks. 7 squared. It's a time of semi-mourning because there was a plague around 2000 years ago. We refrain from wearing new clothes, listening to live music (note - music transmitted electronically? Not live.), getting haircuts and getting married. The plague ended on the 33rd day, or it went into abeyance, so we celebrate with bonfires, haircuts and weddings.
And there was a wedding late yesterday afternoon, before dark (while it's still L'ag. Because customs differ - some begin the morning on the first New Moon after Passover, some start on Passover and end on L'ag, some start on L 'ag and end on Shavuot and some observe the entire time, but have fun on L'ag.) This was a couple from the Netherlands who knew no one, but a friend of mine, also from the Netherlands, was asked if she could help - could she do a wedding in ten days?
Yes. Yes, she could. Most O weddings are held in wedding halls, but there's no way she could book one on ten days notice on L'ag. And the couple knew no one, either. So she decided to hold it in her smallish apartment (filled with her beautiful paintings - she's a professional artist.) And she'd ask nice people she knew to be there so that she knew the bride and groom would be treated well. Apparently, we were up there on the list. There were about twenty - maybe a bit more - in their little living room (she has a husband and two children. Yoni, her son, was the photographer.) The bride wore a white skirt, jacket and camisole, and a scarf over her hair. Her bedeken - the blusher O brides wear over their faces - was a sheer white scarf. The food was a bagel and lox buffet. My husband got a bracha and was one of the guards to the yichud room (where the bride and groom go for about five minutes after the ceremony.)
It was lovely. And it was so nice to participate in a mitzvah as well.
I was going to do this yesterday, but chickened out and went today - I dropped in at my cooking school, where they were holding the next session of the professional class. Chef greeted me with a big smile and a hug, and it turns out I'm famous. He gives out my blog url, and he tallks about me, and he uses my outline for the food handling material in the class.
He even had the class (this one majority male) ask me questions. Yeah, I admit it. I very much admit it - I LOVED it. This is not something that happens everyday (nor should it) but just this once, it was amazing.
And when Chef told me he was working every weekend, I asked him if he needed help, and he said he'd like to use me in a weekend or two for a smallish party. Which. YES! *bounce*
Also, I got my food handler's id and certificate, which is also a good thing.
