Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Biggest Traditional Jewish Wedding Held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Hundreds of Jews from all over the world have gathered in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, ahead of the two-year anniversary of its establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel.

But the crowds aren’t in town to honor the Abraham Accords — at least not directly.

They came to party last Wednesday at the largest Jewish wedding in the history of the UAE, which the bride and groom, emissaries of the Chabad movement who are living in that country, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the accords.

As reported by Cnaan Liphshiz of JTA in The Times of Israel, 

About 1,500 people, including dignitaries and Emirati royals as well as rabbis stationed around the world, attended the wedding of Rabbi Levi Duchman, 29, who was born in Brooklyn and has been living in the UAE since 2014, and Lea Hadad of Brussels, 27, according to the media relations department of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

The wedding “is a source of great national pride, as a demonstration and living experience of the Emirates’ longstanding investment in creating a culture of coexistence and religious diversity,” read a statement to the media about the event.

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