Queensland’s 1st Chabad Wedding

By COLlive Staff

The Streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia, have never seen so many Kapotas, black hats and sheitels as descended on the area last week for the wedding of Dina Feiglin and Abe White on Lag B’Omer.

Dina is the daughter of Mottel and Esther Feiglin of Melbourne and her new husband Abe White is the son of Rabbi and Mrs. Asher White, a Chabad family from New York. Mottel Feiglin is one of the two interstate representatives of the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation’s board of management as well as the President of Beis Chabad Ohel Devorah in Melbourne, Australia.

One of the reasons referred to at the dinner for the chassuna taking place in the Gold Coast was based on the dollar and shlichus given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1989 to Mottel Feiglin, for setting up Chabad activities in Queensland, where he was already involved in real estate construction.

The chuppah was conducted by many Rabbonim from around the world including from Melbourne, Israel and New York with Rabbi Nir Gurevitch, Rabbi of the Gold Coast Hebrew Congregation and the Head Chabad Shaliach of the Gold Coast presiding. All of these events took place in the Qt International Hotel in Surfers Paradise, which is well known for its funky 50’s style entrance and lobby areas which even includes the staff’s uniforms. It was the first time that Qt International provided Kosher catering and yet it was still enjoyed so much by all. Chassidic dancing with a mechitza made the chassuna even more lebedik than anything that they had ever experienced before in the Gold Coast.

Amongst the Rabbonim that attended were Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim-Tzvi Groner, Rabbi and Mrs. Yossel Gutnick and Rabbi Shea Hecht from Melbourne, Rabbi Ceitlin from Tzfas and Rabbi and Mrs. Moishe Zalman Feiglin and family (of The Aliya Institute), from New York, as well as many other Rabbonim and guests from all over the world.

An absolutely great time was had by all, irrespective of which country they came from and many of those that stayed there for Shabbos enjoyed their Shabbos meals at the home of Rabbi and Mrs Nir Gurevitch and his family.

However, the bulk of the guests returned to Melbourne before Shabbos where the sheva brochas continued. Now that Rabbi Gurevitch and Qt International have worked so well together, Queensland is able to host any kosher (mehadrin) simchot that the colder states of the south might require, in such magnificent settings.