Under the soft glow of string lights and the stone walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, a modest wedding transformed into a celebration of extraordinary generosity and Jewish solidarity last Thursday evening. The couple, Becky and Charlie Rosin, both orphaned of their mothers, were married atop the Dan Family Aish World Center in a ceremony brought to life almost entirely by seminary students—many of whom had never planned a wedding before.
What began as a daunting prospect for a young couple with little family support and limited resources became, through the initiative of students from the EFG\@AISH and Aspire Girls programs, a night filled with joy, community, and chessed—the Hebrew word for loving-kindness.
The couple’s journey started thousands of miles away on separate college campuses in the United States, where both Becky and Charlie discovered their Jewish roots through MEOR, a national Jewish outreach organization that runs educational programs for students at universities across the country. Becky, a Rutgers University student from New Jersey, eventually traveled to Jerusalem to study at Aish HaTorah’s Aspire seminary, embracing Torah observance and becoming a deeply connected part of the local community.
Charlie’s spiritual path took him from MEOR to Machon Shlomo, a Jerusalem yeshiva known for its focus on personal growth and intensive Torah study. Their shared backgrounds—both having lost their mothers at young ages—and commitment to Jewish learning drew them together. They got engaged on the rooftop of the Aish World Center two years ago, overlooking the Western Wall.
But despite their hopes to wed in the city that had shaped their identities, the practical challenges loomed large. Without the financial backing or logistical support typically available to young couples, they had resigned themselves to returning to the U.S. to plan a small wedding from afar.
That’s when dozens of seminary students stepped in.
As part of their annual community service initiative, students from EFG\@AISH and Aspire Girls took on the task—not merely of assisting with the wedding—but of producing it in full. They arranged catering, d?cor, entertainment, and logistics, and even partially financed the event through their own chessed budgets, raised over months of student-led fundraising.
“This wasn’t just about helping with a few details,” said Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish HaTorah. “These students took full responsibility for making this couple’s dream come true. It was a lesson in leadership, in love, and in what it means to live a life of Jewish values.”
The students were divided into committees to handle every aspect of the event. Some organized a pre-wedding bridal shower complete with custom cookbooks and gifts. Others built the chuppah, chose the flowers, arranged the music, and ensured every dish at the wedding reflected both tradition and the couple’s personal tastes.
“It was an honor to be part of something so meaningful,” said Noa Sasi, a student who helped design the wedding’s floral arrangements. “We learned that giving isn’t just something you study—it’s something you do.”
Fellow student Rena Frogel echoed the sentiment. “Seeing how our efforts shaped this couple’s special night was empowering. We walked away changed.”
For many of the students, the experience became more than just a school project—it was a formative moment in their lives as emerging leaders in the Jewish world. The wedding, funded in part by the seminary’s student-run chessed initiative, reflected both financial commitment and personal investment.
Rabbi Burg sees such projects as vital to the education his programs offer. “When our students graduate, they don’t just leave with knowledge,” he said. “They leave with the experience and commitment to build Jewish communities wherever they go.”
As for the Rosins, the event defied all expectations. With the backdrop of Jerusalem’s ancient stones and the spiritual pulse of the Western Wall, they stood beneath their chuppah not just as a couple starting a new life, but as a testament to the enduring power of communal love and Jewish unity.
Their wedding may have started with a dream—but thanks to dozens of young women who chose action over intention, it ended as something far greater.
