Last-Minute Miracle: The Wedding That Beat the Odds

"We've been through a lot of struggles, but the moment you see the joyous faces of a couple standing under their chuppah, knowing you were part of a grand act of kindness by organizing a wedding for them from A to Z—it was all worth it," says Ohad Dovrat, an 11th-grade student living in Mevasseret Zion.

Dovrat, only 17 years old, recalls the days leading up to the major event he embarked on with his friends and begins to narrate. "When I started leading in the Ezra chapter in our town, I had a dream of organizing a big event together with all the counselors and trainees. There were lots of weddings around that time, so it headed in that direction. But mostly, I just wanted us to give of ourselves to others. We have 300 trainees in the branch, and I wanted them to participate in an act of kindness, and learn that it's right to do as many of these as possible."

"There was a big meeting with the entire guidance staff. We thought about what to do, and I suggested organizing, with Hashem's help, a wedding for a couple lacking means. The group got excited and accepted the idea, so we distributed tasks and set out. Beyond that, we wanted to convey a message of initiative and creativity to the trainees, so we didn't just ask for donations from private individuals, but initiated various events meant to bring in the necessary funds."

What events did you organize, for instance?

"We organized a women's charity evening in the settlement and brought in a very interesting speaker. Both the entry cost a certain sum, and you could also buy coffee and pastries, etc. Beyond that, we also held a type of event like a 'Purim market,' but with a wedding theme. All the games and stations were wedding-themed. *b"H*, many people came to that too."

"Yet, even after all the recruitment, we saw we managed to raise only half of the intended amount. We raised 10,000 NIS, and our target was 20,000. So we decided to start a Headstart campaign. We spread the word everywhere, and in less than two weeks, we reached the full amount. Meanwhile, we also meticulously searched for a truly needy couple, who would be happy with our help, and indeed, we found one. A date and venue were set, and we thought that was it. A bit more work, and everything would be fine."

The call that changed everything

The wedding organizers managed to secure the required amount and were already cheerful and calm, but then a surprise hit that they didn't expect. "Everything was planned, the date was set, we organized a hall, catering, photographer, band, magnet person, souvenirs, everything. Suddenly, one day, a friend of the groom calls me and tells me that this couple already got settled. Other people helped them, and they no longer need our assistance."

"We were in shock, but very quickly snapped out of it and began looking for another couple. That was three weeks before the wedding. We had people ready to help, a hall, food, service providers—just not a couple. So I published a post on Facebook and told the whole story. In the following days, I received about 1,000 calls in total. Matchmakers called who knew couples, friends of couples, and even various marriage counselors and psychologists who thought I had canceled the wedding, calling to convince me not to cancel, not to give up, and seek therapy."

What did you actually do to find a new couple?

"Due to the multitude of calls, the first thing we did was set criteria. Eventually, we remained with five couples, but none of them found the date convenient, and we couldn't move it because all the service providers were set for that day. Finally, after everything, we received a contact from a woman who assists new couples and told us about a particular couple she thought might fit very well. We got in touch, met them, and things worked out."

"When the first couple canceled, we mostly felt immense frustration. We decided that if we didn't find a new couple within a few days, we would cancel everything, because even though there were calls—we couldn’t find a suitable couple. But once we found the new couple, it gave us fresh energy, and we immediately jumped at the goal, even adding things we didn't initially plan."

Suddenly, the realization hits

Well, after all the crises and preparations, everyone was delighted that the big day finally arrived. "Now that I think about it, one of the things I'm most excited about is the service providers," Dovrat recounts. "The catering, the hall, the photographer, the band, and the other professionals who heard about the story gave us very significant discounts. The catering manager, for instance, charged us only for the cost of the materials, not even for the work. They truly tried to help wherever they could."

"Yet, it's important to say that this wedding, in the end, was very beautiful. What helped make it happen was the active involvement of the community. I'm still very surprised it even succeeded. People baked cakes and souvenirs, and kept asking how else they could help. It was very important to us that the couple getting married wouldn’t feel it was a charity wedding, so we took care of all the details—from souvenirs to serving cutlery to decor."

Without fully revealing their identity, what can you tell us about the chosen couple?

"That's a great question because even without all the background, their wedding is very moving. It's a pair of baalei teshuva living in Jerusalem. Both are around their 40s, and this is the first wedding for both. The groom is a full-time yeshiva student in a Jerusalem religious seminary. Even though I'm not specifically sure why they were so needy, we spoke both with them and with the person who suggested them to us, and understood that they were really in need."

"And yes, it wasn't simple, but seeing them there made it all worth it. The entire guidance team attended the wedding. Everyone did something different. Some worked in the kitchen, some were waiters, others came to dance and bring joy. In addition, we brought friends from my yeshiva, so there would be as many people as possible to make the groom happy and dance with him. It was a small wedding with only 170 guests, so few really, and the groom wanted very much to celebrate, so we brought people to dance with him."

"Additionally, both families attended, and it was very moving. But the highlight was the wedding itself. Suddenly you see in front of you a couple ascending to the chuppah, and you're hit with the realization: 'Wow, we actually organized a wedding for this couple. From start to finish. And we started from nothing. And we delivered such a positive message to so many people.' By the way, due to the success we had, *b"H*, we decided, *b"H*, to make it a tradition, and this coming summer, we're planning to organize another wedding like this. Good things should continue."