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A Moroccan couple wait expectantly to have their palms painted with
henna.

Marriage Vows
Moroccan Style

LISA SAMIN

Special to The Jewish News

H

arei at mekudeshet
li, betabat ze, kedat
Moshe ve Israel"
("Behold, you are consecrated
to me, with this ring accor-
ding to the religion of Moses
and Israel"). For thousands of
years these words have been
repeated at Jewish weddings
all over the world; weddings
which embraced Jewish ritu-
als, customs and traditions
handed down from generation
to generation throughout the
Disapora.
Some of the richest
ceremonial customs were
seen in traditional Sephardi
weddings, and are still prac-
ticed in Israel. The Moroccans
are known for their lively,
spirited wedding celebrations
in which 500-600 guests are
not unusual. Says Na'ama
Azoulai, a first generation
Israeli, "We don't do
everything our parents did in
Morocco, but we have not
compromised on some of the
traditions which make our
cultural background so
special?'
Danny Vaknin, also a first-
generation Israeli, says,
"Although the Moroccan com-
munity is a strong one, there
are customs which have been
lost in coming to Israel. As
the community becomes more
integrated into Israeli socie-
ty our customs become more
diluted."
However, Moroccan wed-
clings still maintain a distinct
cultural flavor. After the
engagement is announced,
relatives and friends visit the
families of the bride and
groom, blessing the couple
with a multitude of different
ceremonies. In his book A
Treasury of Sephardi Laws

and Customs, Rabbi Herbert
Dobrinsky writes, "All the
pre-marriage ceremonies
have basic components in
common . . . providing
demonstrative symbols to
convey good wishes and
prayers for fertility, prosperi-
ty and a happy marriage."
Sweets are brought to the
bride, presents are given for
adornment on her wedding
day and symbolic foods are
served amidst an atmosphere
of festivity and joy.
The evening in which the
bride sanctifies herself for her
wedding night is a very
special one in Judaism.
Writes Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
in his Jewish wedding guide
Made in Heaven, "In many
ways immersion in a mikvah
is even more important than

The bride and
groom do not go to
the "yichud" room
to spend time
alone after the
ceremony.

the wedding ceremony itself."
Called the "night of the bath"
by the Moroccans, the bride-
to-be is escorted to the
mikvah by a party of women.
A special bridal room is set
aside for her and exquisite
care is taken in preparing her
for immersion in the mikvah.
After the bride emerges the
women hold a lively party,
singing and eating in celebra-
tion of the bride's purity. The
songs, traditional Moroccan
tunes, wish her a joyous union
and happiness.
Another special Moroccan
ceremony is the "henna."
Held a few nights before the
wedding, the "henna" is a
large party arranged by the