JEWISH WEDDING MEÑOZA-GONZALES NUPTIALS

The Orthodox Jewish wedding of Genesis Emmanuel and Faith is more than just a unity of love but also a celebration and recognition of the Filipino ancestors’ past.

Shalom Alechem! Weddings are indeed a celebration of love and the unity of two in-love people together, legally in the eyes of the state and of Adonai our Elohim. But for soon-to-be-wedded partners Genesis Emmanuel Nemenzo Gonzales and Faith Dalumpines Meñoza, weddings are more than just a celebration of love.

Both coming from Jewish families and a believer of Jewish traditions, Faith and Genesis Emmanuel are having their Orthodox Jewish wedding today, Tishrei 24, 5779 (October 9, 2018) at The View. Being Jews living in the Philippines, they have done deep research and recognize that the origin of Philippine bloodline is that of the Israeli Jews. This is before the Spaniards came to the Islands of Visayas and even before the Muslims came to the land of Mindanao.

Genesis Emmanuel said, through their Jewish Orthodox wedding, they not only unite as husband and wife, they also acknowledge where they really come from. The wedding will serve as an example to the future generations as well. Just like a typical Orthodox Jewish wedding, Faith and Genesis Emmanuel made sure they would not see each other starting last October 2, a week before the wedding. There was also a 24hour fasting for the both of them before the wedding starts. The fasting will involve their individual reflection on past mistakes and of their life in general.

The couple also scheduled their wedding on the late afternoon when the sun is about to set. The groom will wear the Kittel during the wedding ceremony. The Kittel is white to represent the purity in which the Jews hope to achieve. The couple will be wedded under a Chuppah or a canopy which will symbolize the home that they are going to build together. Along with them, the Torah, Shofar, and Menorah will be displayed under the Chuppah. Also, a tradition called Hakaphot will also be done wherein the bride will encircle the groom seven times, this symbolizing the bond that binds them together. The wedding ceremony starts with the Badeken. The groom places the veil over the bride’s face as a remembrance to what happened before in history as written in the Torah when Rebecca was ready to leave her family to marry Isaac. The Menorah is lit and the Shofar is sounded by then.

During the Mitzvah, or the fulfillment of the marriage, the officiant will give the Torah Talk. This is where the connection of the original Mitzvah of the marriage with the people of Israel and Moshe to HaShem (the Creator) will be discussed in which the people of Israel is bounded and loyal to HaShem ALONE and at the same time HaShem is bounded and loyal to ALL of the people of Israel.