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Biblical Weddings, Anniversaries, and Honeymoons in the Holy Land

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Biblical Weddings in the Holy Land, Beged Ivri is turning to the Religious Tourism Department of the Israel Ministry of Tourism to sponsor a nation-wide Aperion building competition to be held on Tu B'Av at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

The Aperion Competition is to be used to kick-start an incoming Wedding, Anniversary, and Honeymoon religious tourism campaign. The Competition is a pre-requisite to creating the teams necessary to offer the packages throughout the country.

The goal of this project is to encourage a long term program promoting weddings, anniversaries, and honeymoons in Israel for all Bible believing people worldwide, making Israel the first choice for holding such celebrations, as well as providing another link in the restoration of the Jewish people to its ancient homeland by restoring our Land-based Biblical custom of weddings as performed by our forbearers when last a free people, upright in our Land.

The competition will consist of two rounds; city-wide competitions run throughout the country, with the winners of each city-wide competition competing in a national competition. The winner of the national competition will take home a $50,000. Grand Prize.

The judging will take into consideration the most beautiful Aperion, carrier’s garments, and team coordination and skill in carrying the bride.

A parallel competition for the best Jerusalem of Gold bridal crown can also take place.

 

CITY-WIDE COMPETITION

Every city, moshav, and kibbutz will be invited to run a local competition to choose a team that will represent their locality in the national competition. The largest wedding hall in each locality will be approached to host their city’s competition, with the mayor and community leaders making up the judging panel. We will seek and attain municipal co-sponsorship for each participating locality.

The competition will run for 8 months from its official starting date. It is during this period that the local and international promotion of the competition can used to  kick-start the incoming tourism campaign.

The winners of the city-wide competitions go on to the national competition. The winning Aperions will then make a tour of the entire country, spending a week in each of Israel’s major malls, allowing the public to view them.

A top fashion designer and jeweler will be assigned to provide a wedding dress and Jerusalem of Gold bridal crown for each city’s entry in the national competition, thereby bringing the fashion and jewellery industries into the project.

 

NATIONAL COMPETITION

The national competition will take place on Tu B’Av at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The competition will be nationally televised with a telemesser number to allow the public to call in and vote, as well as to vote via the internet, at the central competition website.

Reshut HaDoar – Israel Post will issue a series of three stamps depicting the Aperion, Jerusalem of Gold bridal crown, and Chupat Chatanim, the Biblical chupah, with the First Day of Issue ceremony taking place at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in conjunction with the national competition.

The panel of judges should include among others; Professor Shalom Paul, top fashion and jewellery designers, and the leaders of the wedding industry in Israel as well as spiritual and business leaders.

The winner will be decided by both the public and the official panel of judges. The winning team will receive the Grand Prize.

 

AIMS OF THE COMPETITION

To uplift the spirit of Am Yisrael.

To strengthen our claim to the Land of Israel by restoring to popular usage another of our Land-based customs that went into abeyance with our Exile from our Land.

To provide work and livelihood to teams across the country (each Aperion team has the potential to create $200,000. to $300,000. annually in revenues.) Even if the team does not win the city-wide or national competitions, they still win, as they have their Aperion and garments and can offer their services at weddings throughout the country, or gain income from rentals. 

To provide the teams necessary in order to promote Biblical weddings, anniversaries, and honeymoons, locally and internationally, throughout the Land of Israel.

To fulfill the aims of the non-profit organization: “Hamishpacha – The Organization for the Revival of the Ancient Jewish Marriage Ceremony”, the organization that restored the Aperion and Biblical weddings in 1992, to wit;

To promote the Torah’s concept of the sanctity of marriage amongst the House of Israel, with the intention of improving the quality of Israeli society through stable, healthy, and productive families;

To reinstitute the ancient Jewish marriage ceremony; to wit, the bride’s donning of a golden crown depicting Jerusalem, and the bearing of the bride to the Chupat Chatanim, the dome shaped crimson silk and gold Biblical wedding canopy, on a palanquin “of the cedars of Lebanon, with pillars of silver, drapings of gold, and a seat of purple.” (Shir Hashirm 3:9-10)

 

POTENTIAL SPONSORS

Israel Ministry of Tourism

Airlines

Hotel Association

Tour Guides

Tour Bus Lines

Banquet/Wedding Halls

Jewellery/Diamond Industry

Fashion Industry

Beverage Providers

Catering Industry

Music Industry

Wedding Photographers

Wedding Planners

Tourism Package Wholesalers

Israel Chief Rabbinate (to issue a psak din that for the duration and purposes of the Aperion competition – no woman sitting in an Aperion is considered married.)

Municipalities

TV/Cable Stations

Radio Stations

Prime Minister’s Office

Reshut HaDoar – Israel Post

Knesset Christian Caucus

Mitchatnim

Beged Ivri