The bride with 25,000 guests: Holding a sash, newlywed, 19, waits for relative to perform a 'Mitzvah dance' as she marries into Ultra Orthodox Jewish family



Thousands attended the wedding of the grandson of the leader of the Hasidic dynasty Belz Rebbe yesterday

18-year-old Shalom Rokeach will be the future leader of the Jewish sect - one of the largest in the world

He married 19-year-old bride Hannah Batya Penet in the traditional ceremony which lasted several hours until dawn




Weddings are always a big occasion, but with a guest-list of more than 25,000, this traditional Jewish ceremony dwarfs even the most lavish of nuptials.



Jewish well-wishers from around the world attended the Ultra Orthodox Jewish wedding to witness the marriage of the grandson of the leader of the Hasidic dynasty Belz Rebbe yesterday.

Steeped in tradition, these amazing images show the ceremony of 18-year-old Shalom Rokeach and his 19-year-old bride Hannah Batya Penet in Jerusalem, Israel.



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'Ultra orthodox wedding': Hasidic bride Hannah Batya Penet is seen in a traditional white wedding dress with a veil covering her face as her female relatives escort her to the ceremony in Jerusalem, Israel

Future leader: The groom Shalom Rokeach, 18, pictured centre, is the grandson of the head of one of the largest Hasidic communities in Jerusalem, Belz Rebbe, and is expected to take his place as leader of the sect one day

Centre of attention: The bride Hannah Batya Penet during the ceremony which lasts several hours Rare occasion: Thousands of Hasidim Jews dressed in black watch as an Ultra Orthodox Jewish rabbi dances with the bride during the Mitvah tantz ritual

Shalom Rokeach is the eldest and only male grandchild of the Belz Rebbe, who heads one of the largest Hasidic communities in the world. Being the only male, the newlywed is assumed to be the Rebbe's future heir in leading the community.

Belz Rebbe is an ancient Polish-Jewish dynasty which has its roots in the 14th Century in the Polish town of the same name. The marriage of one of its descendants, who is considered aristocracy among Orthodox Jews, is big occasion and all members of the sect from all over the world are invited.



The wedding is a rare meet-and-greet opportunity for leaders of various Hasidic sects. Thousands of Belz Hasids from the United States and Europe attended the celebration, which lasted until dawn. A number of Jerusalem streets were shut down because of the size of the celebrations.

Traditional Jewish weddings consist of two separate parts, the betrothal ceremony, known as erusin or kiddushin, and the actual wedding ceremony, known as nisuin.



Big event: The wedding - which saw up to 30,000 guests attend - is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish ceremonies in recent years

Crowded: Thousands wanted to witness the wedding of Shalom Rokeach who will become the next leader of one of the largest Hasidic communities in Israel

Under the stars: The couple's vows were said underneath a chuppah - a large canopy supported by four poles which is erected outside so the ceremony can be conducted underneath the sky Intricate: A detailed a look at Hannah's lace and crystal encrusted veil, as well as small diamond earrings

The first betrothal ceremony sees the groom give a wedding ring to the bride. During this part of the service, the bride is prohibited from talking to all other men.

The wedding ceremony then takes place underneath a large four-poled stand with a canopy overhead known as a chuppah so the groom and his veiled bride can be married underneath the sky.



The bride's wedding veil takes various forms among the different Jewish communities. Some Hasidic brides wear a heavy cloth veil that, Hasidic Jews believe, protect the bride's modesty by allowing her to avoid guests' gazes while she stands under the wedding canopy.



Ultra-Orthodox Jewish bride Hannah Batya Pene, centre, sits with her relatives during her wedding ceremony

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men watch the wedding of the grandson of the Chief Rabbi of Belz, Yissachar Dov Rokeach, and his bride, Hannah Batya Penet, in Jerusalem

Bride Hannah Batya Penet takes part in a traditional celebratory dance with her relative while still wearing her veil

Mesmerised: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man uses a pair of binoculars during the wedding ceremony of Shalom Rokeach, the grandson of the Chief Rabbi of Belz, and his bride Hannah Batya Penet

The veil also recalls the Matriarch Leah, whose face was covered so heavily that Jacob did not know she was not Rachel at the wedding ceremony. The bride only has to wear the veil during the ceremony.



After the ceremony the bride and groom spend an hour together before the bride re-enters the chuppah and, after gaining her permission, the groom joins her. The couple are then blessed over a cup of wine at the conclusion of the ceremony.



All the male guests dressed in black and wore traditional shtreimel hats for the occasion, which traditionally separates the men from the women.



Under the stars: Bride Hannah Batya Penet is led by female relatives to the chuppah, a large supported canopy, where the wedding vows took place

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men lead Shalom Rokeach, grandson of the Chief Rabbi of Belz, Yissachar Dov Rokeach, during his wedding ceremony

Daunting: Around 25,000 guests from around the world descending on Jerusalem to watch the ceremony

Orthodox aristocracy: The Belz Hasidic dynasty is one of the largest Hasidic sects in the world

Tens of thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic Dynasty watch the wedding ceremony of Rabbi Shalom Rokach Watch your step! Penet struggled to manage her dress through her veil after she finished dancing with her relatives

Spectators: Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic Dynasty use binoculars to watch the wedding ceremony

Emotional: Hasidim Ultra Orthodox Jews sing and chant during the wedding of the grandson of Beltz Rebbe in Jerusalem, Israel

THE ULTRA ORTHODOX JEWISH WEDDING Traditional Jewish weddings consist of two separate parts, the betrothal ceremony, known as erusin or kiddushin, and the actual wedding ceremony, known as nisuin.

The first betrothal ceremony sees the groom give a wedding ring to the bride. During this part of the service, the bride is prohibited from talking to all other men. The wedding ceremony then takes place underneath a canopy known as a chuppah so the couple may get married beneath the sky.

After the ceremony the bride and groom spend an hour together before the bride enters the chuppah and, after gaining her permission, the groom joins her. The couple are then blessed over a cup of wine at the conclusion of the ceremony.

All the male guests dressed in black and wore traditional shtreimel hats for the occasion, which traditionally separates the men from the women. The bride and members of the family then take part in Mitzvah tantz ritual - where members of the family and honoured rabbis dance in front of her and then with the groom.

The bride stands perfectly still, holding one end of a long sash while rabbis, the groom’s father, her own father or her grandfather holds the other end and dances with her. The guests then enjoy a traditional wedding meal which lasts until dawn.



It was so full that some guests were forced to use binoculars to catch a glimpse of the service .

After the wedding ceremony, the bride took part in the Mitzvah tantz ritual - where members of the family and honoured rabbis dance in front of her and then with the groom.

The bride stands perfectly still, holding one end of a long sash while rabbis, the groom’s father, her own father or her grandfather holds the other end and dances with her.



According to the Talmud, it’s considered a great honor to entertain a new bride and to dance for her during her wedding.

Only a few women take part in this section of the celebrations.



Members of the congregation held hands and danced during the ceremony and sweets were handed out to children before the wedding party enjoyed a traditional meal.



Hasidic Jews wear clothes similar to that worn by their ancestors in 18th and 19th century Europe - and this style of attire also helps them to focus on their sense of tradition and spirituality.

The biggest Hasidic communities are found in Israel and the U.S. There also smaller groups in Canada, England, Belgium and Australia.



Their lives revolve around religious study, prayer and family - and theirs is a world without television, films, the internet or secular publications.



The men generally have beards and sidelocks (peyot).



Women tend to wear long skirts and shirts with long sleeves and high necklines as they adhere to strict guidelines of modesty.



After the women get married, they cover their heads with either scarves, hats or wigs (known as 'sheitels').

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boys look at preparations for the wedding of the Chief Rabbi of Belz, Yissachar Dov Rokeach's grandson, in Jerusalem

Matching outfits: Hasidic Jews wear clothes similar to that of their ancestors. They can be seen in traditional shtreimel hats for the wedding ceremony

Awaiting crowds: Some 25,000 Ultra-Orthodox Jews participated in one of the biggest weddings in the past few years

Well-wishers: Tens of thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic Dynasty watch the wedding ceremony of Rabbi Shalom Rokach



THE ORTHODOX ARISTOCRACY: HOW THE BELZ DYNASTY WAS FOUNDED

The founder of the dynasty was Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, also known as the Sar Shalom, who was inducted as the rabbi of Belz in 1817. He personally helped build the city's large and imposing synagogue which stood until the Nazis invaded Belz in late 1939.

When Rabbi Shalom died in 1855, his youngest son, Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach, became the next Rebbe. The Belzer Hasidism sect grew in size during Rebbe Yehoshua's tenure and the tenure of his son and successor, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach .

Unlike other groups which formed yeshivas in pre-war Poland, Belz maintained a unique yoshvim program, developed by Rabbi Yissachar Dov, which produced many outstanding Torah scholars. The yoshvim were married and unmarried men who remained in the synagogue all day to study the Talmud, pray, and derive inspiration from their Rebbe. Ultra-Orthodox Jews of the Belz Hasidic Dynasty attend the wedding ceremony of Rabbi Shalom Rokach, the Grandson of the Belz Rabbi, in traditional dress

With the outbreak of World War II and the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939, the town of Belz was thrown into turmoil. From 1939 to 1944 it was occupied by Nazi Germany as a part of the General Government.

Though the Germans attempted to destroy the Belz synagogue first by fire and then by dynamite, they were unsuccessful. Finally they conscripted Jewish men to take the building apart, brick by brick.

The Belz leader Rabbi Aharon Rokeach, known as the 'Wonder Rebbe' was at the top of the Gestapo's 'wanted list' of rabbis targeted for extradition and extermination during the Nazi occupation of Poland.

With cash inflow from Belzer Hasidim in Palestine, England and the United States, the Rebbe and his half-brother, Rabbi Mordechai of Bilgoray, managed to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in one miraculous escape attempt after another. The brothers were driven out of occupied Poland and into Hungary by a Hungarian counter-intelligence agent who was friendly to Jews.

Although he had lost his entire family—including his wife, children, grandchildren and in-laws and their families—to the Nazis, Rebbe Aharon re-established his Hasidic court in Tel Aviv, where there was a small Hasidic community.

Jewish children stand on a balcony to get the best view they can of the wedding ceremony of Shalom Rokeach Both he and Rabbi Mordechai (who had lost his wife and daughter) remarried, but only Rabbi Mordechai had a child, Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II), in 1948. Rabbi Mordechai suddenly died a year later at the age of 47. Rebbe Aharon took his brother's son under his wing to groom him as the future successor to the Belz dynasty.

Like nearly all of the other groups originating in Poland, Belzer Hasdism was nearly wiped out by the Holocaust. Some Hasidic followers from other communities joined Belz after the war and following the deaths of their rebbes. Belz, like Ger and Satmar, was comparatively fortunate in that its leadership remained intact and survived the war, as opposed to many other Hasidic groups which suffered losses both in terms of rank-and-file supporters, as well as the physical decapitation of their leaders.

Rebbe Aharon became an acknowledged leader of Haredi Judaism in Israel. He laid the groundwork for the spread of Belzer Hasidism through the establishment of schools and yeshivas in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak and Jerusalem.

Since 1966, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach has presided over both the expansion of Belz educational institutions and the growth of Hasidic populations in Israel, the United States, and Europe. Under the Rebbe's leadership, the Belz Hasidut has grown from a few hundred families at the time of his accession to leadership in 1966, to over 7,000 families as of 2011. The largest number of Belzer Hasidim outside of Israel are living in the USA, mostly in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, which has eight Belzer synagogues and ten dayanim. Belz is the largest Hasidic community in Borough Park, followed by Bobov, Satmar, Munkatch, and Ger. Belz in the USA & Canada counts over 2000 families. The ancestors of the founders of the Belz Hasidic Dynasty are considered to be almost an aristocracy among the Orthodox Jewish community







