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Jewish Wedding Held in Bender, Moldova for First Time in Decades

A historic and moving moment for the Jewish community of Bender, Moldova, as a Jewish Chuppah was held in the city for the first time in decades, dating back to the years of Soviet rule. Alexander and Esther Endakov stood beneath the Chuppah on the banks of the Dniester River, with the ceremony conducted by Moldova’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod • Read More, Photos

For many of those in attendance, it was the first time in their lives that they had witnessed a traditional Jewish wedding. Family members, friends, Shluchim and members of the local Jewish community gathered to share in the simcha as the couple established a Jewish home.

The location of the Chuppah carried special significance. The banks of the Dniester and the surrounding region are marked by painful memories of the Holocaust. In a place that witnessed the persecution and murder of Jews, the sounds of Jewish wedding blessings and celebration were heard once again—a continuation of Jewish life.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Axelrod, Chief Rabbi of Moldova, traveled especially to participate in the celebration and officiate the Chuppah and Kiddushin.

For the Jewish community of Bender, this was far more than a family celebration. No Jewish wedding had been held in the city since the Soviet era. After decades in which much of the Jewish life that had once flourished in Bender was disrupted and lost, a new chapter was written before the eyes of local Jews, many of whom had never before witnessed such a ceremony.

During the Chuppah, Rabbi Mendel Gotzel, the Rebbe’s Shliach in the city, explained in simple language the various stages of the ceremony, including the Kesubah, the Sheva Brachos and the breaking of the glass. The wedding thus became an opportunity not only to celebrate with the Chassan and Kallah, but also to introduce those present to the traditions of Yiddishkeit and the meaning of building a Jewish home founded on Torah and Mitzvos.

The event was held as part of the growing activities of the Rebbe’s Shluchim in Bender, within the framework of Chabad of Moldova, led by Rabbi Zusha Abelsky, who oversees and supports Jewish activities throughout the country.

Chabad activities in Bender are led by the Rebbe’s Shluchim, Rabbi Menachem Mendel and his wife, Leah Gotzel, who work together to strengthen Jewish life in the city and surrounding area through Torah classes, Shabbos and Yom Tov programs, Mivtzaim, community events and personal connections with local Jews.

Hatomim Shneur Zalman Gotsel also assisted with the preparations and arrangements for the wedding. The organizers expressed their appreciation for his extensive help in coordinating the many details needed to make the simcha possible.

Following the Chuppah, the celebration continued with a festive wedding meal at a local hall, where guests enjoyed a beautiful seudah, music and dancing in a warm Jewish atmosphere.

The families of the Shluchim, the Axelrod and Tiefenbrunn families, also traveled to participate in the simcha, together with Hatomim Michoel Zaitsev, joining the celebration and bringing joy to the Chassan and Kallah. The local Chabad House expressed heartfelt thanks for their involvement and for helping create the special atmosphere.

The significance of the occasion is further underscored by Bender’s history. For generations, the city was home to a large and vibrant Jewish community, with shuls, Rabbonim, institutions and numerous Jewish families. The Holocaust, followed by decades of Communist rule, dealt a severe blow to Jewish life in the city.

Today, step by step, that Jewish life is being rebuilt.

Tefillos, Torah classes, Tefillin, Mezuzos, Shabbos and Yom Tov celebrations, and connections with additional Jews – all are part of the renewed Jewish activity. And now, a Jewish wedding has taken place in the city for the first time in decades.

In a place where efforts were once made to uproot and erase Jewish identity, a new Jewish home has now been established. Another Jew has connected with his roots, another Mitzvah has been fulfilled openly, and another corner of the world has been illuminated with Torah and Mitzvos.

This is part of the Shlichus entrusted by the Rebbe shlita, Melech HaMoshiach, to his Shluchim: to transform the world through Yiddishkeit, Torah and Mitzvos, and prepare it for the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.