The Magilnicks of Venice / Santa Monica made a wedding last week. The Jewish custom is to celebrate the wedding with 7 days of parties if and when the bride and groom are present. Any time the bride and groom are present and there is a party there are 7 beautiful blessings which are bestowed upon the bride and groom. These parties and the blessings share a name. They are called Sheva (7) Brachos (Blessings).
Traditionally, there are several short speeches laced with blessings and good wishes for the bride, groom and their families.
The Magilnicks invited nearly the entire Venice / Santa Monica communities to celebrate the Sheva Brachos of their son Josh and daughter in law, Rivka. Rivka’s father was one of my Rabbis in High School at the Israel Henry Beren High School of Ner Israel.
I was asked to deliver some words of blessing to the bride and groom. I chose to deliver a speech which my grandfather, Sidney Greenwald, would give at all his grand-children’s Sheva Brachos until his passing. I have been delivering his message since that time at family Sheva Brachos parties which I have attended.
It my hope that those who listen to the speech will find it as inspiring as our family has found it. His yartzeit is this coming week and may these words of Torah said in his name be an aliya (growth) for his neshama (soul).
Enjoy the speech (20 minutes)
Filed under: All Posts, Classes, mazel tov, Sheva Brachos, sidney greenwald, Torah
