We had such fun on the day that this post was written! I had a Kallah call to find out about our bridal gowns. She was going to come in 10 days time. To my surprise, shortly after ending the call, she called right back. Could she come in that very morning?
Confirmation of the service we were developing
What excitement, this is what we wanted our Gemach to be. The first treat came when we opened the door to find both mom and gran had come to help the Kallah to find the perfect bridal gown for her. After half an hour or so of looking through our bridal gowns and trying on a few, the mom of the Kallah asked if I knew anything about alterations.
An opportunity to use a variety of creative skills
I began to realize just how much I had learned in our course at university on adapting garments and patterns in order to disguise any deformity. This time there was nothing to disguise but there was a need to adapt the sleeves. Having described what I thought would be possible, I then discovered that my photography skills came in beneficial. I directed the mom of what to photograph in order to ask her seamstress if she could do what I had described.
The experience reinforced ideas I had for a service I was developing. It was such a wonderful feeling to be a part of a process that I had wanted to assist with. This was certainly a new way to use my range of skills. Were my ideas to advanced for the time? Is our need to put our Gemach on hold just a short-term measure. Something to return to somewhere further down the road? Or, do we need to completely alter our plan?
Reflecting on the changes we had to make
So often in life, events happen that force us to change direction. However, let’s return to the story that we had begun. So this Kallah came to visit our bridal gowns, accompanied by both her mother and her grandmother. They had spent time looking through and analysing all the gowns we had of the right size for her. They had a gown they really liked and had taken three photographs that were sent to their seamstress.
Now the waiting began. What would the response be? Were my ideas for alterations realistic? Could the seamstress complete the task? We had a 10 – 15 minute wait to find out the answer. There is always much to chat about with a new Kallah. As a result, the time slipped away pretty quickly.
We had our first sale of a bridal gown
Soon enough we had the response! The answer was, yes, the seamstress could do the alterations. Now came the discussion. Will this be THE bridal gown? Should they take it, should they keep looking? On my side I wondered whether this bridal gown would finally be rented or purchased.
A little more discussion and yes! Mazal Tov! The Kallah decided that yes, this was her dream bridal gown. I am so looking forward to seeing the final result once the bridal gown has been altered.
Client feedback shows we were on the right track
What was particularly exciting for me, was to hear from the Kallah, her mother and her grandmother a consensus that they agree the centre we are working towards is needed. If you know a Kallah getting married in Jerusalem, please have her be in touch. Although we currently do not have our bridal gowns, we do still offer Chatan and Kallah lessons online using Zoom.
It was a strange feeling as we closed the door. We hoped and prayed that the Kallah would really and truly enjoy the dress. A few months later we received our reply. What a wonderful surprise to open my computer and discover a photograph of the Kallah taken on her wedding day. I recognized the dress. The seamstress had done a superb job and the bride looked stunning.
This post is prepared for you by: Shoshanah Shear, Occupational therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance writer and co-author of “Tuvia Finds His Freedom” and author of “Healing Your Life Through Activity – An Occupational Therapist’s Story“