WATCH: The biggest traditional Jewish wedding in Abu Dhabi

There are two separate receptions for the groom and bride before the official ceremony, and according to tradition, the groom and bride cannot meet for the week before the wedding. Friends and relatives greeted the newlyweds and expressed their heartfelt wishes in a greeting ceremony called Kabbalat Panim or Bride and Groom.

“This wedding is an important statement to the community, the UAE government and the world, we are not just here to visit, but we want to be part of the fabric of the UAE,” said Rabbi Duchman, adding: “We want to be able to People come together as couples, not judging people by religion, race or nationality, but are here to support humanity. The wedding is a symbol of the way we want to continue our lives as a community.”

When the wedding began, Rabbi Duchman was escorted by his father Rabbi Sholom Duchman and father-in-law, Brussels chief Rabbi Menachem Haddad, to the chuppah, the traditional Jewish wedding canopy. Meanwhile, Lea Hadad is escorted to chuppah by her mother Batcheva Hadad and mother-in-law Feige Duchman.

Upon reaching the chuppah, the bride circles the groom seven times, symbolizing “the perfection of creation”. Female guests are seated on the left, facing the chuppah; men in black suits and posalino hats or kippahs are on the right.

Prayers and blessings are held under the chuppah, which according to tradition is open in all directions, symbolizing openness and welcoming guests from all directions. It was here that the couple swore and promised that their “home” would be as hospitable as their ancestors.

Rabbis from abroad and leaders of the Emirati Jewish community lead the recitation of prayers and blessings. Emirati businessman Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties PJSC, recited one of the couple’s seven prayers in Arabic.

The groom’s father leads the blessing. The chuppah follows more traditions, including the signing of a Ketubah or marriage contract, a binding document detailing the obligations of a husband to his wife. The wording of the Keubah itself was used thousands of years ago in Talmud Aramaic.

At the wedding ceremony, seven guests recited seven blessings while reading the blessings.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom returned to a private room, where they spent a few minutes together to express their new intimacy.

Rabbi Levi Duchman, 29, has lived in the UAE for more than eight years. Son of Feige and Rabbi Shalom Duchman, one of 13 siblings, including 6 Rabbis. Born in Brooklyn, he spent two years in Morocco with his sister Chana and her family before coming to the UAE. His father was a director of Colel Chabad, the oldest continuously operating charity in Israel founded in 1788, operating a national food safety network, medical and educational services, widow and orphan support, and immigration aid program.

Bride Lea Hadad, 27, of Moroccan descent, was born and raised in Belgium. She is the daughter of Chief Rabbi Menachem Haddad. Her grandfather started the tradition of messenger work when he established the Chabad community in Milan. She has a strong background in the Arab world, with both sets of grandparents born in Morocco.

Duchman helped build Jewish communities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, including a Jewish school, a Hebrew supplementary school, a Mikvah for kosher purification ceremonies, and a government-licensed kosher establishment. He also brought several rabbis to the UAE to serve the community with him and established a rabbinic training program for rabbinic interns. At the same time, Haddad will play an important role in supporting the Jewish community, including supporting new families moving to Abu Dhabi.

• 1,500 guests from 15 countries attended the wedding

• Beginning Wednesday, a seven-day celebration will take place in Abu Dhabi, known as the “Seven Blessings” or “Sheva Brachot”.

• Over 20 religious leaders from the UAE’s Christian, Catholic and Buddhist communities, as well as Central African Chief Rabbi Shlomo Ben Tallila attended the meeting

• Over 20 dignitaries from Japan, Korea and Finland attended

• The wedding date, September 14, 2022, is the 18th day of the month of Elul, a very holy day in the Chassidic tradition and the birthday of The Baal Shemtov (1698), the founder of the Chassidic (a Jewish religious group) movement.