Jewish community Chabad Lubavitch Moldova

When Mariana’s eyes met those of Rabbi and Mrs. Abelsky under the chupa, tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of all three. A circle was closed, but it’s not the end, just the beautiful

A CIRCLE OF JOY, A HAPPY BEGINNING

When Mariana’s eyes met those of Rabbi and Mrs. Abelsky under the chupa,, tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of all three. A circle was closed, but it’s not the end, just the beautiful beginning of the story.

Mariana Kolpakchy was born in the little village of Falesht in Moldova. When she was still quite small she lost her father. When, some years later, her mother also passed away, Mariana, still a young girl, decided to seek her fortune in Kishinev, the capital of Moldova. There, she attended university and studied Liberal Arts, majoring in Journalism. She was alone, but not quite, for close friends of her mother, Misha and Luda Hazin, (now of Boston) felt a strong responsibility for her and provided loving support when she needed it most.

Despite her youth, Mariana has lived through many changes and experienced many twists, turns and even revolutions of life. Coming from Falesht, a small village still tucked away in another era, where indoor plumbing is practically unheard of, water is still drawn from wells, and there is just one telephone line in the whole town, Mariana made the gigantic adjustment to big city life in Kishinev. Not only did she adjust, but she showed her character and bright intelligence by excelling in her studies.

Her life was to change again when Divine Providence brought her into the warm, welcoming home of Rabbi and Mrs. Zalman Abelsky. Literally, from the first visit, Mariana considered them her “parents” and their home her own. But not only did Mariana get a taste of the family life she so dearly missed; she also got her first taste of real Jewish life. At the Abelsky’s she experienced her first “Shabbat table” and lit Shabbat candles for the first time.

Little by little Mariana became more and more involved in Kishinev’s awakening, vibrant Jewish life. She continued her university studies in Journalism and with this talent, she became an invaluable member of the “Abelsky team,” working together with Luda Hazin on the publication, “Istoky,” a newspaper of Jewish content, which is distributed to thousands of homes throughout Moldova, the surrounding areas and recently, even in the U.S.

After three active years of growth and growing dedication to Judaism, Mariana made the decision to make aliya. This proved to be a major step in more ways than one. Mariana continued her Jewish education, attending Machon Alta, a women’s seminary in Tzefat. When she had lived in Israel two years, Mariana was blessed to find her life’s partner, Boaz, a young man from a fine Syrian-Jewish family. She is no longer alone, but blessed with a wonderful husband and a loving extended family. Last August, on a blistering hot day, Mariana and Boaz stood under a chupa and joined their lives. Rabbi and Mrs. Abelsky stood as proud surrogate parents of the bride.

What does the future hold in store for the young couple? Boaz is very supportive of Mariana’s (now, Miryam) continuing quest to gain more and more knowledge of her Jewish heritage, and he is agrees that she continue her studies. This, of course, makes her very happy. In Mrs. Abelsky’s words, “If Mariana is happy, I’m happy.” Then, she continued, “When I came to Kishinev, I adopted 50,000 children (the whole community). But Mariana means something special to me.”

As for Mariana, with a beaming face she promised a phone call every week…

 

Maryana at the western wall in her wedding day

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