Why Jewish weddings inspire frenzy

On the last day of August, my wife Diane and I celebrated the wedding of our son, Danny, to our new daughter-in-law, Richelle. We welcomed far-flung members from both families and more than 200 guests to a scenic location at the edge of the woods-and even the Seattle weather seemed to cooperate.

Some guests who had never attended a Jewish wedding expressed surprise at the frenzied dancing, lavish feasting and hours of joyous intensity. The reason behind all the emotion stems from the way such occasions defy the odds: for 3,000 years, powerful enemies sought to destroy our people and terminate our traditions but—with God’s help—we have outlived them all.

To see two very young people committing themselves to the values and practices of their great-great grandparents represents a triumph of continuity that extends beyond any one family. The traditional blessing for the new couple is that they should join together to build a “Bayit Ne’eman B’yisroel” — a faithful Jewish home.