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Ilan Buchman and Oscar Shub were married in Sydney’s Emanuel Synagogue this week five months after the Australian Government passed legislation to permit same sex marriages.

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins, the spiritual leader of the synagogue, told J-Wire: “It was an incredible honour and privilege, on behalf of Emanuel Synagogue, to officiate at the first same-sex ceremony under the legislation.

Emanuel Synagogue is a pluralist congregation, including the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal streams of Judaism, all of whom have advocated for marriage equality in Australia.

We look forward to more ceremonies in the coming months. My associate, Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio, who has been the strongest advocate of marriage equality in our community for more than 10 years, will be conducting with me another same-sex marriage early June.

The ceremony was the first of any kind to be conducted in our glorious new sanctuary and we look forward to the official opening of the sanctuary in 10 days’ time.”

Each groom circled the other three times and the seventh one they did together simulating a figure eight.

Ilan and Oscar broke a glass at the same time. Each groom circled the other three times and the seventh one they did together, like a figure eight.

Ilan Buchman told J-Wire: “Oscar and I have been partners for 47 years and after 47 years our fondness for each other is as strong as it ever was and hopefully will continue to be so.

In Oscar’s speech at the wedding he said ‘who would have believed in 1971 that I would be standing here tonight married to my partner, my best friend and the love of my life for the past 47 years’. That says it all.”

J-Wire asked Ilan how he felt about the Government finally legalising same sex marriage. He replied: “I would say that it took a long time to come, but having arrived it is so important and life changing for so many gay people, particularly young people coming to grips with their sexuality, and for their parents to realise that their gay child can live life exactly as everyone else.”