Gersten Family News: Josh's Wedding Trip Part 1

We arrive on Sunday morning and picked up our rental car at Hertz and headed over to the Grushkos to drop off Elisheva. Abba then headed to Shacharis at Yeshiva of the Five Towns for Shacharis for the Bris of Motti Fox's son Gavriel Moshe. We also had a chance to see Yakir there, who later had to return upstate back to HASC. After the Bris, Abba went back to pick up Elisheva for the Seudas Mitzvah. We ran into Kobi Schwarzbaum at the bris and invited him to Josh's wedding

Since we were already in Woodmere, we stopped off later that morning to say hi to Uncle Bob and Aunt Barbara. Then we went back to the Grushkos to shower and change for the wedding, pictures were called for 1 PM. It was nice to spend time with all the relatives during pictures and around 5 o'clock the Chasan's Tish started, around the time Rav Moshe Eliyahu arrived. So Abba left Elisheva in the Shmorg with Bubby (who brought Elisheva's formal wear flip-flop sandals) and joined the men for the Chasan's Tish.

The Chupah was around 6 PM. Abba walked down the aisle with Zeidy and Uncle Eliezer. Here is a short video of Uncle Josh walking down the aisle

Amid all the excitement, there was a particularly sad part of the Chupah, when Aunt Hannah was walking around Uncle Josh seven times with only her mother behind her, it was then that Savta's absence was most noticeable, causing many people to cry, including Abba.

We also got to meet Beth at the wedding. Saba and Beth announced their engagement on Monday, the day after the wedding. Other notable wedding guest relatives that we only got to see on Sunday night were Uncle Frank and Jessica; Ilana, Daniel and Jonny Blumenthal; Aunt Jean, Celia and Rachel Blumenthal; George and Barbara Blumenthal.

The next morning we spent some time with the Gerstens from Baltimore before they had to head back home. Abba went to the early Shacharis with Saba and Uncle Eliezer, and then Abba served breakfast for Akiva, Efrayim and Henya while Aunt Tamara slept and Uncle Avigdor was at the 7:45.

Saba took off from work on Monday, and we went to buy Elisheva her Bat Mitzvah present. We had dinner with Saba and Uncle Eliezer before they headed for the airport (Sheva Brachos was in Manhattan with the Chason and Kallah's friends) and then it was just Saba, Abba and Elisheva in the house for the rest of the week (although Uncle Josh came by a few times to pick up some of his stuff)

Tuesday afternoon we spent with Aunt Lisa, Racheli, Sara and Yosef at the Queens Zoo. We first stopped off at Amazing Savings and Berrylicious for a few chatchkas and some frozen yogurt.

Right next to the zoo was a little carnival type place so the girls went on the roller coaster and Aunt Lisa took Yosef on a different ride.

Racheli in the front card and Elisheva & Sara in the next car

Tuesday evening we went to Sheva Brachos at the Tobin-Hess family in Great Neck. It was a big backyard barbecue. Unfortunately, Elisheva got a lot of mosquito bites they are still itching her as we are typing...

Wednesday morning we went to Grandma Libby, where Aunt Merril was staying as well. We went for pizza and ice cream at "The Pizza Block" in Riverdale, owned by none other than Abba's friend Elisha Block, whom Abba introduced to everyone. Later, Aunt Rona joined us and we went to Baskin Robbins for smoothies.

Elisheva and Abba stopped off to visit Savta's kever that afternoon. We got there right before they closed at 4 PM. The entire family decided on Motzai Shabbos to visit the Kever on Sunday before Uncle Josh's wedding, but we didn't get the message until we arrived at the wedding.

Sheva Brachos that night was by Uncle David and Aunt Gail in Brooklyn.It was mostly the Weiss family and the Gersten Family.

Uncle David and Aunt Gail hosted the Sheva Brachos

The Panim Chadashos that evening were Uncle David's father as well as cousin Michael and his family who were on vacation in the US. We just barely eked out a minyan for Maariv and Sheva Brachos.