Thousands Celebrate Wedding of Terror Victim’s Daughter – Sarah Litman
Jerusalem (TPS) – Sarah Techiya Litman and Ariel Biegel, a young couple who postponed their wedding following a terror attack that killed Litman’s father and brother two weeks ago, were married on Thursday evening, November 26, at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.
Following the horrific attack, the couple invited the general public to their wedding to celebrate with them. The ‘chuppah’ ceremony was attended by approximately 800 invitees, with the wedding later opened to the public, including Israel’s first lady Sarah Netanyahu.
Sarah Litman’s father, Rabbi Yaakov Litman, and her brother, 18-year-old Netanel, were both murdered on Friday, November 13, shortly before Shabbat when Palestinian terrorists opened fire on their vehicle as they were traveling near the Judean town of Otniel. Their funeral was held the following day.
The wedding was originally scheduled to take place four days later on November 17. The couple decided to postpone the wedding by nine days.
The chuppah was attended by Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau and Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Amar. Sarah Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s wife, arrived later and blessed the newlyweds, along with many other distinguished guests.
About 200 Magen David Adom paramedics came to dance at the wedding. They included many friends of the late Netanel Litman, the bride’s brother, who had volunteered in the medical aid organization.
Thousands of other guests came from all over Israel and the world to celebrate with the bride groom, following their open wedding invitation in which they announced they would invite everyone to share in their joy following their mourning period.
“We went from a nation mourning the Litman family’s loss, to the a nation celebrating this joyous occasion,” Rene Moskowitz, who did not personally know the Litman family. “We all feel connected to to what this family has been through,” she told Tazpit Press Service. “It was our chance to help make this event a happy,” she explained, having traveled from Beit Shemesh to do so.
The newlywed couple thanked the Israeli public for taking interest and coming to celebrate their happy day with them, noting that “Until two weeks ago nobody knew me or Ariel, and then in one moment on Friday my father and brother were murdered by a vicious terrorist.”
“No moment passes by without me missing Netanel’s smile or Dad’s humility and modesty. Out of this pain, in the days before Hanukkah we will spread a huge light of happiness together with all the Israeli nation.”
Anav Silverman contributed to this report
