South African ‘simcha sisters’ respond to bride’s call

When Devorah Freedman, a young South African woman living in Israel, posted on Facebook that her wedding to her Israeli fiancé would be without family and close friends from home dancing with her, she could never have imagined that strangers would fill the gap. 

Her heartfelt message was simple. If anyone nearby could come dance with her on her big day, she would be deeply grateful. Most of her loved ones back home in South Africa couldn’t travel to Israel for the simcha. All she wanted was to feel the warmth of women around her as she took her first steps as a bride. What happened next was pure South African magic. 

In Ra’anana, Kayla* was scrolling through her family WhatsApp group when something caught her eye. Her cousin, Sigal Josselowitz, had shared the bride’s post on an aliya Facebook group. “It pulled at my heartstrings,” Sigal said. “My whole family had just travelled from South Africa for my cousin’s wedding. I couldn’t imagine someone celebrating without that kind of support.” 

For Kayla, who works as a youth madricha and teacher at a synagogue in Ra’anana, it was an instant call to action. “I saw it as a good opportunity to do a chesed, to help create sameach chatan v’kallah [bring joy to the bride and groom] and to do a mitzvah,” she said. “So I messaged the group of girls that I teach and asked who would be keen to come. Seven of them said yes straight away.” 

The shul stepped in to sponsor a private bus, and within hours, plans were set in motion. A group of young women, most of them South African olim, packed dresses, energy, and an abundance of ruach, ready to head north to Haifa to make a stranger’s wedding shine. As the bus wound its way out of Ra’anana, there was laughter and anticipation. “We knew we were going to be a vibe,” said Kayla. “Our mission was to make this bride the happiest we could.” 

When they arrived at the venue, they were met with a mixture of curiosity and surprise. “At first, they were looking at us like, ‘Who are these people’?” Kayla recalled. “But when the music started, we all just went in bouncing, and created a complete vibe. From the second we walked in, we didn’t stop dancing.” 

They sang, clapped, spun in circles, and lifted the kallah high. Strangers became sisters in simcha. “The bride was so grateful,” Kayla said. “All of my girls described it as the most meaningful, inspirational experience to be able to make someone’s wedding day. We literally went crazy dancing, in the best way.” 

Though Kayla and her group knew exactly why they were there, the bride herself had no idea who the energetic guests were when they arrived. “I was taking photos with my husband, and I saw a whole bunch of girls standing at the entrance,” said Devorah. “I thought maybe they were from his side of the family. Then they came over, and they had even brought me a challah board as a gift. They told me they came all the way from Ra’anana, and I was like, wow, that’s amazing!” 

At first, she noticed one familiar accent. “I heard her accent, and realised she was from South Africa,” Devorah said. “Then I found out that all of them were from South Africa, and I thought, that’s incredible, they answered my post!” 

The surprise transformed her wedding day. “They were full of energy and fun,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them, it would have been much less lively. They literally made my wedding. It was amazing, and I felt so supported. Even the fact that they travelled all the way from Ra’anana to Haifa was moving. They were there the whole time, right until the end, even lifting me up on the chair. They were great.” 

For Kayla, who made aliya recently, the experience was deeply personal. “It made me appreciate having had my family at my wedding,” she reflected. “Maybe I took it for granted, but this made me realise the power and strength of Israel. Nowhere else in the world would people drive more than an hour just to make someone they don’t know happy at their wedding.” 

That, she said, is the essence of living in Israel. “It’s this country’s heart. You wouldn’t find that anywhere else.” The gesture had a rapid ripple effect. Photos and videos from the wedding, shared in community groups, drew admiration and pride from South Africans around Israel and abroad. 

“Only South Africans!” wrote one commenter. “Such warmth and ruach, that’s our girls!” Another said, “This is exactly why I love being part of this community. We show up for each other, even when we have never met.” 

Sigal, who first saw the bride’s plea online, said it was surreal to see how fast her cousin mobilised. “I just shared the post. Kayla did everything. It reminded me how connected South Africans are here. We may live all over Israel, but we’re still one extended family.” 

For Devorah, the gesture was about more than dancing. It was about feeling held by a community that stretches across oceans. “It was really special,” she said. “I was so moved that they came; that they made such an effort to support me; and that they stayed until the very end. They made me feel like I was surrounded by family, even though mine were far away.” 

Even the wedding guests who didn’t know the women were moved by their enthusiasm. By the end of the night, everyone was on the dance floor together – family, friends, and newfound community members, united in celebration. 

“There is a kind of South African Jewish DNA that says if someone needs something, we will show up,” said Kayla. “It’s the way we were raised – with community, kindness, and chesed at the centre of everything.” 

For many new olim, moments like this ease the loneliness of starting over in a new country. “Aliya can be hard,” said Kayla. “You miss your people, your family, and your culture. But when you see South Africans coming together like this, it makes you feel like you aren’t alone. It’s home, just in a different place.” 

What struck Kayla most wasn’t just the dancing, but the girls’ willingness to give of themselves, on a weeknight, far from home, for someone they had never met. “They didn’t hesitate,” she said. “It wasn’t ‘Should we?’ It was, ‘Of course we should!’ They understood that making someone else happy is what it means to live here. It’s how we build each other up.” 

The experience has already inspired others. Since the wedding, Kayla has received messages from people wanting to know how they can do something similar, whether visiting elderly olim without family nearby; volunteering for new brides and grooms; or simply spreading joy. 

For Kayla and her group, that night in Haifa will always stand out. “It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “The girls felt the same. We came back on the bus completely exhausted but glowing. We couldn’t stop talking about it. 

“This is what it means to be part of Am Yisrael,” Kayla said. “We dance for each other, even when we have never met.” 

*Kayla isn’t her real name. She asked not to be identified because she wanted to do good, not seek kavod or recognition.