Chanukah’s “eight crazy nights” are just nine days away, but over two hundred members and friends of Magen David Sephardic Congregation gathered this past Saturday to celebrate a different tradition altogether: la fete du henna (French for “The Henna Festival”).
The Rockville synagogue—the oldest in the area serving Jews of North African and Middle
Eastern origin—hosted a mock, Moroccan-style wedding ceremony, complete with traditional Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes like couscous and tagine; live music; stunning djellaba costumes; and even a “bride and groom.”
“It’s more a cultural than religious event, but it’s very beautiful,” explained Rabbi Joshua Maroof of the henna ceremony—a pre-wedding tradition among Sephardic Jews. “This was a way of sharing our culture and unifying the community, to experience the excitement and ambiance.”
Indeed the party room was “crazy” colorful, gorgeously decorated to resemble a Moroccan souk, with curtained walls, beaded table cloths, and Middle Eastern lanterns.
Check out more photos of the fun here.
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