Wedding: Wilhelm – Harlig

By Las Vegas Israelite

On Wednesday, February 16, 2011, the Jewish community of Las Vegas celebrated as two young people, both children of Chassidic rabbis, tied the knot under a traditional Jewish wedding canopy.

Chayala Harlig, daughter of Rabbi Shea and Dina Harlig, Directors of Chabad of Southern Nevada, became the wife of Levi Wilhelm, himself an ordained rabbi, and son of Rabbi Zushe and Esther Wilhelm of Brooklyn, New York.

Some 60 rabbis from all over the country were among 600 guests who attended this historic event at the Venetian Hotel – the first Chassidic Rabbinic wedding of a bride who was raised in Las Vegas, that was performed in the State of Nevada.

Traditional Jewish weddings tend to offer a combination of colorful imagery, majestic pageantry, understated solemnity and, finally, unfettered merriment and festivity. Among the popular fixtures at such weddings are the Chuppah, or marriage canopy, under which the ceremony is performed; the formal reading of a Kesubah, or marriage contract; and the shattering of a glass to mark the end of the ceremony.

A Hassidic wedding, however, brings its own unique set of customs to the matrimonial proceedings and festivities. From the manner in which the bride and groom each held court at separate pre-ceremony receptions to the solemn processional escorting the groom to adorn his bride with a ceremonial veil as she was blessed by the family patriarchs; from the mysticism-based protocols of the Chupah ceremony to the energetic dancing at the wedding party. Following traditional Jewish law, men and women danced in separate circles. Hassidic weddings are famous in Jewish culture for being intriguing, soul-stirring and even entertaining affairs.

Hassidic Judaism, a movement whose origins date back to 18th Century Eastern Europe, emphasizes the joyous, esoteric and mystical dimensions of Jewish observance as pathways to a meaningful life.

Chabad-Lubavitch is the largest and most widely recognized Hassidic group today. Unlike other Hassidic sects that tend to withdraw inward, Chabad reaches outward in seeking to inspire Jews from all walks of life to reconnect with their heritage while seeking to improve the human condition as a whole. Chabad has some 200,000 members worldwide and some 4,000 representatives who dedicate their lives to carrying out its works.

The unprecedented Chupah ceremony at the Venetian was performed by the bride’s father, Rabbi Shea Harlig, who, along with his wife, Dina, started the first Chabad branch in Southern Nevada in 1990 by offering classes and services out of the living room of their modest home. Since then, the organization has grown into a dynamic Jewish social service and educational organization with five thriving community centers now spanning the greater Las Vegas Valley.

The bride, Chayala Harlig, was a firstborn of five months when her parents relocated from New York to embark on their expedition as Chabad emissaries to Las Vegas. Over the years, Chayala herself was active in the organization, especially in its youth department, serving as a counselor and head counselor of the Chabad summer camp program. She currently resides in New York where she continues to pursue her passion for education as an accomplished schoolteacher.

The groom, Levi Wilhelm, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, studied in rabbinical academies in Paris, France, and Brooklyn, New York, where he received his ordination from the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva. He has also done stints of volunteer community outreach work in Russia, Germany and Peru.

For now, the couple plans to reside in New York for at least one more year, so that Chayala can continue in her teaching position and Levi can pursue his post-graduate studies at the Kollel Avreichim in Brooklyn New York.

Once the year is up, Levi and Chayale say they’d be receptive to following in their parents’ footsteps – i.e. devoting their lives to community service. Whether they’ll be stationed in a region as glittery and as challenging as Las Vegas remains to be seen, but those are discussions for another day.

For now, they are content that they were the top billing on the hottest ticket in town: a party that invigorated body and soul all at once.