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Beth
Shalom
The Progressive Jewish Congregation of Auckland, New Zealand |
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Phone
+64 9 524 4139 -- Fax +64 9 524 7075 -- Email info@bethshalom.org.nz
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In the little Jewish towns of eastern Europe before World War I, it was quite customary to make marriage arrangements without consulting the young folks most intimately concerned. The marriages so arranged had many material advantages, but love (if the old folks thought of it at all) was irrelevant. In any case, young Samuel had been told to dress up because he and his father, together with a few other male relatives, were to travel to a neighboring town to sign a marriage contract, and this would afford Samuel a chance to meet the family of his future wife for the very first time. Dressed in their finest and most formal clothes, the party of the groom made its way over the snow to the village in question and reached the home of the future in-laws. There a group of some twenty grave men, relatives of the bride, were gathered for the signing. Once inside the house, Samuel's father whispered to him on impulse, "Tell me, Sammy, can you guess who, of all these fine-looking men, is going to be your father-in-law?" "Of course I can," said Samuel, and he pointed. His father was astounded. "You are quite right," he said, "but how did you know?" "Easy," said Samuel. "One look at all of them and that one in particular I already can't stand." |
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