JULY 20 • 2023 | 21
old, when he originally received it from his parents,
Sydney and Nellie Kraft. And it wasn’t a prayer shawl
that just lay dormant over the years, only coming out of
hibernation from Aaron’s blue velvet tallit bag in time for
the High Holidays.
“He enjoyed shul during the holidays,
” said Valerie, but
he wore the tallit every Shabbat morning at Adat Shalom.
He and my mother, Esther, were longtime members.
“Each grandchild lit up his face; he found a connection
to each,
” said Valerie of her father, who passed away in 2015.
“The tallit overhead at our family weddings have meant so
much as part of our kids’ new life journeys as couples.
”
TOUR DE TALLIT
Valerie recently acted as my tour guide
for the traveling tallit that has made
stops at five family weddings in just the
last five years. The tallit, so integral to
the preparation of the ceremonies, that
every rabbi who officiated incorporated
the emotional family ties of the tallit into
their remarks.
Aaron Kraft’s tallit made its chuppah
debut in January 2019, when Bryan and
Evie Kraft’s son Cary married Rachel
Schonwetter in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Rachel’s grandfather’s tallit also adorned
the chuppah.
“L
’dor v’dor, from generation to genera-
tion,
” said Bryan of his father’s prayer shawl being included at
his son’s wedding. Generation to generation, the exact words
the bride and groom used to describe the emotional impact
of the tallitot on their ceremony.
“Each generation of our family plays a role in
shaping who our children will become,
” Bryan
said. “They instill the character, values and
traditions that will be passed
on to their children and
families. Using our father’s
tallit under the chuppah rep-
resents the continuation of
those traditions and reminds
us that though our parents
and grandparents may have
passed, we can take great
comfort knowing they are in
some way with all of us for
this special occasion.
”
The tallit’s next stop
included a return visit to
Florida when in May 2021,
Helayne and Jeff Kaplan’s
son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Elan Yochai
were married in Boca Raton, with tallitot
from both sides included in the simchah.
Jeremy Kaplan and Elan Yochai
on their wedding day
continued on page 22
Cary Kraft and Rachel Schonwetter under the chuppah
Esther z”l and
Aaron Kraft z”l