This week Malkie and I were blessed by Hashem with the great joy of seeing our oldest child, Mushka, engaged to be married to a wonderful young man named Yossi Cohen. He is from Montreal, yet he has a significant NOLA connection; his sister and brother-in-law, Mushka and Rabbi Leibel Lipskier, are the directors of the Tulane Chabad undergraduate program.
We are extremely new at this game, and countless people commented to us that we look to young to be marrying off a child… yet we are quite cognizant of our need for gratitude to Hashem for bringing us to this point in our lives.
Mushka is very fortunate that all four of her grandparents, may Hashem grant them long and healthy years, are present in her life and were able to celebrate with her. She is a first grandchild to them. Where it gets a little more unique, is that Mushka is also blessed to have a great-grandmother in her life, my Bubby Rivkin, may Hashem grant her continued long and healthy years.
There were many highlights to this week’s celebration. Most notably, standing with Mushka and Yossi, along with parents and grandparents, at the Rebbe’s Ohel asking for his blessing for their future marriage and life together.
Another special moment was visiting with my grandmother to get her blessing and wisdom as they embark on this new stage of their lives together. She has the benefit of much life experience, including over 60 years of her marriage to my grandfather, of blessed memory. She was dropping gem after gem of insights, advice and anecdotes to them, and to Malkie and me, about marriage and life in general. I hope that we all have the intelligence to absorb and appreciate the wisdom that she is imparting. May she continue to do so for years to come in good health.
In the meantime we are counting our blessings with immense thankfulness to Hashem for all that He has bestowed upon us. We are also very thankful to the many of you who reached out with good wishes in person, by phone and in writing. You are our extended family and we are glad to share our simcha with you!
Wishing you all a happy Adar and Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin