The Ortho-Hippie Wedding

I always assumed that the sixties ended at midnight, December 31st, 1969, but they're still burning strong at Moshav Modi'in! The moshav was founded by followers of the 1960's inspirational musical and Jewish revivalist guru Shlomo Carlebach. The Moshav has the feel of an eastern spiritualist retreat, a traditional synagogue, and a Jewish hilltop outpost all mixed into one. I came on a bus from Jerusalem with many of the guests from a Yishuv called Bat Ayin, in Judea (southern West Bank), another Carlebach-type hippie colony.

A friend of mine from Berkeley, Hillel, came all the way out to Israel to get married, and will be making aliyah, God willing, next year with is new wife Chaya. It's... well... let's just say it's not exactly my crowd, but I had a really great time and think we sent the Chatan (groom) and Kallah (bride) off into their new life together with a bang

The guys getting Hillel ready.

Peyos (sidecurls) and bongo drums.

The Chatan

Dancing outside the Yichud room, where the Chatan and Kallah go to be together for a few moments after the official ceremony.

At my table. I did a weird sort of flash combined with long exposure which resulted in the streaks, but given the psychadelic nature of the whole wedding, I figure it encapuslates the experience pretty well.

We all sat on cusions and had a parve meal (neither meat nor milk products.) Brown rice, vegetables, a shmorges board of Berkeley cuisine.

Chatan and Kallah dance over the mechitzah (separation between men and women for dancing.)

At the wedding, I bumped into Johnathan, another oleh (immigrant) from Walnut Creek. He's living in Bat Ayin, learning in yeshivah studying Judaism and environmentalism now.