The Wedding of Joseph and Fatima
By Jillian Nelson
The Couple
Joseph and Fatima live on the West Bank, in Israel. Joseph is a Jewish man, who works as a military officer. His family owns the Jewish restaurant, the Kosher King. Fatima is a Muslim, and works in her family's restaurant, the Hummus Hut. Though their religions have been known to conflict, they still managed to find love.
Jerusalem
The wedding will take place in Jerusalem, a Holy City for both religions. For Muslims, it is the place where Muhammad, prophet to Allah, ascended to heaven. For Jews, it was a holy city founded by King David. It is also where the temple fell. But this city has conflict attached, the border conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Neither of them want to share the Holy Land, so it was split into quarters. The ceremony will take place in the Muslim Quarter.
The Ceremony
The ceremony will have a combination of Islamic and Jewish traditions. There will be both an Imam and a Rabbi present. The bride will still have the traditional henna day with her female friends and family. The groom will deliver jewelry to the bride, and will escort her to the ceremony. There, the Ketubah will be signed, with only immediate family present. Both Fatima and Joseph will have fasted, in accordance with Jewish tradition. The ceremony will take place under the chuppah, which symbolizes the new home they will build together. Prayers and hymns from both religions will be said, and rings will be exchanged. Both the bride and groom will take a sip of wine following the betrothal blessings.The ceremony will end with the breaking of the glass, which symbolizes the destruction of the temple.
Security
As Jews and Muslims have been conflicting over borders and religion since 1948(and even before), and tensions have gotten increasingly higher, a small security detail is in order. The wedding will be held at an undisclosed location. Bags will be checked, and the guest list only includes close friends and immediate family.