The largest Jewish wedding took place in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday. In attendance were 1,500 guests, including Emirati royals, dignitaries and rabbis. This wedding makes its mark as the biggest Jewish event in the UAE history since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The wedding was between Rabbi Levi Duchman, who has been living in the UAE since 2014, and Lea Hadad, a Belgian national of Moroccan heritage.
The date of the wedding coincided with the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords, and could be considered representative of the country’s commitment to coexistence and religious pluralism, guests said.
“While an incredibly joyous wedding with 1,500 family and close friends, it was also a celebration of Jewish life in the Emiratis and the Arabian Gulf that has flourished with the support of UAE leadership. The wedding was a landmark event for Jews in the region and, Emiratis at the wedding told me, it is an important moment for the country as well,” said Rabbi Motti Seligson, a friend of Rabbi Levi Duchman, from New York for the wedding.
The Hebrew date of the ceremony was also the same as the birthdate of Baal Shemtov, founder of the Chassidic movement, and the birthdate of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
The food at the wedding was Kosher, catered by Hilton, Yas Island. Kosher certification was provided by EAKC (Emirates Agency for Kosher Certification), the sole government-certified kosher supervision agency, which was founded by the groom to make kosher food available in the Emirates.
Rabi Levi Duchman, born in Brooklyn, has been residing in the UAE since 2014. His work has included Jewish schools, institutions and houses of worship in the country, one of them being the government-licenced kosher agency. He has also brought several rabbis to the UAE to join him in serving the community, and established a rabbinical training program for rabbinical interns.
Lea Hadad is also a significant part of the Jewish community, her father being the chief Rabbi of Brussels, and her grandfather was responsible for the setup of the Chabad community in Milan.
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 media statement about the event.
The couple will reside in their home in Abu Dhabi, where they will continue to work towards Rabbi Duchman’s commitment to building the UAE’s Jewish community.
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