A Flurry of Simchah – Amidst a Blizzard of Snow

At the kabbalas panim for the Polstein/Nathan chasunah (L-R): Rabbi Chaim Twersky, Rabbi Yaakov Sussman, Rabbi Yosef Polstein; the chassan, Aryeh Polstein; Harav Avraham Friedman, Rosh Yeshivah; Rabbi Shmuel Leib Schuman. Photo credit: Aharon Cardash.
At the kabbalas panim for the Polstein/Nathan chasunah (L-R): Rabbi Chaim Twersky, Rabbi Yaakov Sussman, Rabbi Yosef Polstein; the chassan, Aryeh Polstein; Harav Avraham Friedman, Rosh Yeshivah; Rabbi Shmuel Leib Schuman. Photo credit: Aharon Cardash.
Walking to the badeken (L-R): Rabbi Yochanon Nathan, Aryeh Polstein, Rabbi Yosef Polstein. Photo credit: Yosef Gottlieb.
Walking to the badeken (L-R): Rabbi Yochanon Nathan, Aryeh Polstein, Rabbi Yosef Polstein. Photo credit: Yosef Gottlieb.

Outside, the temperatures were dropping and a blizzard was raging, but inside, a beautiful story was unfolding — a story that not only warmed the heart, but set it ablaze and made all involved realize what is really important in life, and “mi k’amcha Yisrael!

This week, significant portions of the country, from the East Coast to the Midwest, were battered by snowstorms. On Sunday morning, a storm was raging in Chicago. Snow was already falling heavily, with predictions for blizzard conditions to develop by early afternoon, including wind gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour.

For the Polstein and Nathan families, this posed a dilemma, as a chasunah for their children was scheduled to take place at 4:00 that afternoon at the Midwest Conference Center, a 45-minute drive from the Jewish community in the best conditions. At 10:00 a.m., a decision was reached by all parties involved that it would simply be too dangerous to proceed as planned, as the weather was deteriorating and travelers were warned to stay off the roads. What could they do?

At 10:04 a.m., Rabbi Shmuel Leib Schuman, the CEO of Hebrew Theological College (Skokie Yeshivah), where Rabbi Yosef Polstein has taught for 30 years, offered the yeshivah as an alternative location. It was agreed upon by the families to have the kabbalas panim and chuppah at the yeshivah at 1:00 p.m., a mere three hours later. Dancing would follow the chuppah, but no seudah would be served to the guests.

That is when the real blizzard of activity began. First, Rabbi Polstein asked the chassan and kallah’s rebbi, Rabbi Yaakov Sussman, to speak with them both and apprise them of the change of plans under these most unusual circumstances. According to Rabbi Sussman, “As true bnei Torah, the chassan and kallah were mekabel the new plan with simchah and recognition that everything is b’Yad Hashem.”

Then, a “calling post” went out to the Chicago community, to let them know of the new time and venue for the chasunah. The bachurim of the yeshivah, who were more than happy to help out their beloved rebbi, jumped into action, transforming the yeshivah into a wedding hall. “If our rebbi needs us, we can do it,” was the battle cry. They picked up brooms and mops and scrubbed the dining room and beis medrash; they took snowblowers and cleared the parking lot and sidewalks; and they set up tables and chairs for the kabbalas panim and chuppah.

About 400 guests braved the snow and came to celebrate with the chassan and kallah. Many arrived with trays of cookies, nosh, and flowers to add to the simchah. More flowers were obtained from the melaveh malkah that the yeshivah had held the night before.

The chuppah was held at 2:00 and followed by heartfelt, simchadig and leibidig dancing that lasted more than an hour, accompanied by the band.

The simchah was palpable, and everyone felt that they were participating in something special. As Rabbi Sussman expressed, “It was the most beautiful chasunah in the word — like an old-time wedding!”

Makeup and hairdos, professional portraits and Viennese tables, all fell by the wayside, but, ultimately, that is not what counts. Aryeh and Elisheva were married, ready to build their bayis ne’eman b’Yisrael. Guests commented: “You have set a new precedent — it can be done!” As the chassan’s mother remarked, “I spent so many weeks planning the details, including the last 48 hours planning the seating for the dinner, and it was all meaningless. But it was the most beautiful and memorable wedding, which brought immeasurable simchah to our family.” Furthermore, Mrs. Polstein poignantly noted that the chassan had practically grown up in the walls of this beis medrash — this was where his bris and his bar mitzvah were held, this was where he learned Torah since his youth, this was where his family davened every year during the Yamim Nora’im — and now, this was where he celebrated his chasunah.

Following the dancing, a seudah, donated by friends, was served to the immediate family by volunteers. It was a wedding that will never be forgotten by those who attended, not just because of the blizzard outside but because of the simchah inside.

By Monday, the snow had stopped and the roads were cleared. The Nathan/Polstein families hosted their wedding guests at a lavish sheva brachos, serving the food that had been prepared for the chasunah, at the Midwest Conference Center. It was another beautiful affair, as the baalei simchah announced: “Nathan/ Polstein chasunah, part two!”

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