On Aug. 11, 1946, Beverly Smolevitz and Harry Polonsky, a Conservative-Reform couple, were married at Orthodox Poale Zedeck Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa.
They met at the Pittsburgh Jewish Community Center (YM/YWHA) at a Sunday night basketball game-dance and were secretly engaged six weeks later. Whenever possible they have been JCC volunteers since then.
Their wedding ceremony took a hilarious turn when Rabbi Shapiro, a marvelous man with a heavy accent asked the groom to repeat the Hebrew betrothal words after him. This went smoothly until Rabbi Shapiro in his heavy accent said, “Now say li” (the Hebrew word for “to me”).
The dialogue went like this:
Groom: “Nah sai li”
Rabbi (thinking groom misunderstood him repeated): “Now say li.”
Groom (carefully repeated the unfamiliar Hebrew phrase): “Nah sai li.”
Rabbi (now frustrated, slowly tried again): “Nah…sai…li.”
Groom (now quite nervous, anxious to get it over with, just as slowly and carefully again said): “Nah…sai…li…”
Rabbi: “No! Now say li…”
Groom: Nah sai li.
Rabbi (throwing up his arms): “Forget it already!”
Needless to say, some of the groom’s friends who understood Hebrew were hysterical — one almost fell off his chair.
Now at weddings during the betrothal portion they look at each other with wide smiles.
There are many cherished memories and as for success, when the bad times come, be sad for your partner and when the good times come, be happy for your partner.