Meant To Be
A young couple found they had a long history.
Randi and Larry under their chuppah.
B
eshert ... the true meaning
embraces you when you
meet it. This is the way
Randi Gartenberg and Larry
Schreiber found its meaning.
It says in the Talmud that "40 days
before a child is born, there is a light
that is separated into two; each light
becomes a human being on earth.
When those two lights find each
,other, the rays are magnified into one
again." That is beshert.
Randi Gartenberg and Larry
Schreiber were married on Aug. 13,
2000, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield. There is no such thing
as coincidence; this couple was des-
tined to meet each other.
Randi's mother, Susan Gartenberg,
and Larry's mother, Joan Simons;
grew up together within the Shaarey
Zedek community. They were con-
firmed at age 16 together, and they
stand next to each other in the confir-
mation photograph that hangs on the
wall in the synagogue. Years later,
Joan and Susan would teach together
at Shaarey Zedek's Beth Hayeled
Nursery School.
Rabbi Irwin Groner plays a very
important role in this beshert connec-
tion. He not only officiated at the
wedding of Randi's parents, Susan
Schwartz to Sydney Gartenberg, 33
years ago, but also Larry's parents,
Joan Levin to Hanley Schreiber, 32
years ago.
Rabbi Groner completed the circle
by marrying Randi and Larry. He
recited a beautiful prayer in memory
of Larry's father, Hanley Schreiber,
who passed away in 1982. Rabbi
Groner also married Larry's mother to
Sheldon Simons 13 years ago.
With all the ties, Randi and Larry
didn't meet until freshman year at
Michigan State University in a mutu-
al friend's dorm room. Larry used
one of those common pick-up lines:
"Doesn't your mom work with my
mom?" They became the best of
friends, and five years later they real-
ized their relationship had grown into
love.
The wedding ceremony was a cele-
bration of two warm families. They
sent out small squares of material to
all their family and friends to design.
The completed squares were made
into a chuppah by Randi's cousin,
Judy Shapiro. The side panels were
needlepointed by both sides of the
families. The chuppah, representing a
couple's home, ensured that Randi
and Larry were surrounded by all
their family, friends and loved ones.
Their rings also were symbolic.
Larry gave Randi a band that was
formed by melting together the wed-
ding rings of Randi's grandmothers,
the late Betty Schwartz and Manya
Gartenberg. Randi gave Larry the
same ring his mother gave to his late
father on their wedding day.
Randi also wore her mother's 32-
year-old wedding dress.
Shaarey Zedek's Rabbi Joseph
Krakoff had the bride and groom
write letters to each other, and read
them aloud during the ceremony. It
was the first time each heard the
other's letter.
❑
Randi Schreiber is a physician assistant
at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
and Larry Schreiber is working toward a
master's in accounting. The couple reside
in Memphis, Tenn.
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