Rebbetzin Esther Grossman spearheads the Likrat Kallah Wedding Dress Project. She has launched an initiative for brides of the reserve duty soldiers and brides of evacuee families from the south and the north, providing them with free wedding gowns. The Rebbetzin’s decision, together with the other staff members was in response to many couples wishing to get married, but who were experiencing difficulties. Their partner was called up, sometimes even the bride was called up, or the couples who were quickly evacuated had little available time and often were experiencing financial difficulties as a result of losing their jobs. They had no patience or time or money to purchase these expensive wedding gowns. Additionally, as a result of the war, many couples decided to bring their wedding forward before their partner entered the fighting. “It is a great privilege and mitzvah to help a bride who wishes to get married now, and in general,” says Rebbetzin Grossman. “We will happily help out and offer a wedding gown to every bride that contacts us. This is a great privilege to help the Jewish People and to help the heroic Israeli girls who are coping with a very difficult and complex time with its worries and concerns.”
The bridal salon started by the Rebbetzin, the wife of the Chief Rabbi of Migdal HaEmek and president of the Migdal Ohr institutions, Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman, was opened many years ago in Migdal HaEmek, to assist alumni of the Migdal Ohr Organization, girls who could not afford to pay for their weddings. The salon is stylishly and innovatively designed and includes hundreds of wedding gowns displayed on hangers, a makeup and hair styling room, hundreds of bridal shoes, etc. The wedding gowns were donated by the leading bridal salons and designers in Israel and from overseas and normally sold for NIS 15-25 thousand.
Salon manager, Esther Ben Harush assists the young brides, meeting with them personally and suiting each bride with the dress of her dreams, based on her personal taste and dimensions. If necessary, the dress is altered to suit them exactly. The brides are warmly welcomed and in addition to the wedding gown, make up and hair styling, they also receive a bouquet. “Weddings at this time are generally small and intimate, and take place in a family setting,” says Ben Harush. “The Rebbetzin’s important project helps brides during these difficult days and helps them be happy on their special day. Currently, we actually have more weddings than one would expect and the family connection is very important to the couples. Today, the gowns are classic and more suited to the period.”
“This salon was a dream come true,” says Rebbetzin Grossman, describing how it all began. “One of our girls was about to get married and she didn’t have a wedding gown. I started to look at the dress free loan societies and I was given an address. I came to the apartment, was warmly welcomed and they opened the closet with a few dresses, and it was difficult for me. The bride would have been very happy with the dress she received, however, I had a dream of opening a salon especially for brides, a large and respectable salon.”
One day, when she was walking down the street, immersed in her thoughts, she met a city resident. “She asked me, what are you so thinking about and I told her that I need a veil for my bride who studies in one of the network’s institutions and she invited me to come to her house the next day. She told me that she had a bridal salon in Migdal HaEmek, and she ordered gowns from Italy; but by the time the gowns arrived, they had closed the salon and were left with 40 gowns and asked me if I wanted them.”
At that moment, the Rebbetzin knew that she would open a beautiful bridal salon to provide her students with a solution and for any bride in need of its services. “The organization had an old building that was used for other needs. It was renovated and was turned into a beautiful bridal salon. After the salon was ready, the Rabbi came for a visit and asked me why such a big building had so few gowns. I told him that I only had 40 gowns and he said that he knows me and in a year’s time the salon would grow. And so it was. The gowns are all donated, so that brides who after the wedding have nothing to do with the gown, or salons who after 3-4 times stop renting the gowns, and gowns from overseas can donate them. We contacted a Jew from Mexico and he ran an organization called Yad L’Kallah, who after visiting the salon, he sent me new gowns.”
The Rebbetzin’s bridal salon was publicized by word of mouth, and many brides come from across the country. “We have brides from Eilat, Katzrin, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and from dozens of cities and towns,” says Ben Harush. “Secular, traditional, Haredi and national religious brides, who are constantly surprised by the beautiful selection and impressed that the salon does not compromise on anything. They come a number of times for fittings and are very satisfied.” The Rebbetzin summarizes: “At first, I opened the salon for the pupils, and later I decided that every bride who cannot afford to purchase a wedding gown should be welcome to come. The brides bring a deposit check with them, which they get back after they return the gown.
To schedule an appointment, contact Esther Ben Harush at Tel: 054-2327144
