Aufruf (
Yiddish: אויפרוף ''ofrif'', ''oyfruf, ufruf/ifrif'' or אויפרופן ''ofrifn''), which in Yiddish means "calling up," is the
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
custom of a
groom
A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man ...
being called up in the synagogue for an
aliyah
Aliyah (, ; he, עֲלִיָּה ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel, which is in the modern era chiefly represented by the State of Israel. Traditionally descri ...
, the recitation of a
blessing
In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will.
Etymology and Germanic paganism
The modern English language term ''bless'' likely d ...
over the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
.
In the
Ashkenazic
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
Jewish community the aufruf ceremony is typically held on the
Shabbat before the
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage ...
; but it can also be held on a Monday or Thursday. In
modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew ( he, עברית חדשה, ''ʿivrít ḥadašá ', , '' lit.'' "Modern Hebrew" or "New Hebrew"), also known as Israeli Hebrew or Israeli, and generally referred to by speakers simply as Hebrew ( ), is the standard form of the He ...
and in the
Sephardic and
Mizrachi traditions, it is called ''Shabbat Hatan'', the groom's Sabbath, and it is typically held on the Shabbat before the wedding.
After the Torah reading, the congregation sings a congratulatory song and the women throw candy at the groom. In non-Orthodox congregations, the bride and groom may be called up to the Torah together.
It is customary for the family of the groom to invite the congregation to a festive
kiddush
Kiddush (; he, קידוש ), literally, "sanctification", is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings afte ...
after the services.
In many Ashkenazi Orthodox communities, the bride typically does not attend the aufruf because it is customary for the bride and groom to refrain from seeing each other for one week before the wedding. On the Shabbat preceding the wedding, there is also a custom for the bride's family and friends to gather to celebrate the bride and bring her joy. This is called a ''Shabbat Kallah'', the bride's Sabbath.
See also
*
Jewish views on marriage
Marriage in Judaism is the documentation of a contract between a Jewish man and a Jewish woman in which God is involved. In Judaism, a marriage can end either because of a divorce document given by the man to his wife, or by the death of ei ...
References
{{reflist
Marriage in Judaism
Shabbat
Yiddish words and phrases in Jewish law