Moroccan Jewish Wedding, Forest Hills, NY, 1995

Nathalie's grandmother has put a dab of henna on the palms of the couple's right hands, which her mother now ties with a green ribbon.

Katrina Thomas's notes: Moroccan Jews are Sephardim, cast out of Spain in 1492, who became a minority in a Muslim country which was a French protectorate from 1912 until 1956. Looking for Moroccan customs, I find a henna evening, hafla diel henna, in Queens, NY. It is held in the bride's home, where there is food and drink, taped Moroccan music, clapping and ululating, both sexes wearing caftans. The prospective bride and groom receive a dab of henna on their right-hand palms which are then tied with green ribbons. For this event, the bridegroom wears white sateen pants and a fez; the bride a green velvet, gold-embroidered robe handed down through several generations. Several days later I go with the bride to the mikveh bath but make no photographs. I do not attend the nuptials or wedding reception because only Jewish customs were kept; none specific to Morocco.