Conference taveng::bagels

I recently had mine cleaned by my tailor, Moshe Segal.  His store is on
Centre St. in Newton.  Right by the Newton Center parking lot.

Gavriel

    Isn't Your wife to be supposed to buy you a new one?
    
    Warren

                   <<< Note 919.2 by CARTUN::SCHORR >>>
                                    -< ??? >-

    Isn't Your wife to be supposed to buy you a new one?
   
    
    Is this a common tradition? Neither my fiance or myself have heard of
    this.  We figure we will go with the older one with a little more
    history behind it.
    
    Michael

    It's traditional in some circles (E. European orthodox?) for the kallah
    to buy her chasan a tallis and a Shas (Talmud).  Of course, in those
    circles, unmarried men don't wear talleisim, so wearing his "old" tallis
    isn't an option.  Am I correct in saying that Sefardim wear a tallis
    from Bar Mitzvah?

    BTW, I once knew a dry cleaner in New York who did talleisim and
    American flags for free.

Re: .0

Now this might sound like a way-out suggestion, but here is one way in which
you could clean your tallit and save money:

I suggest that you wash your tallit in Woolite, yes Woolite.  It does a great
job of brightening it, and you could touch it up with a (not hot) iron after
the washing.

--David

    Be careful... If your Tallit is wool, a dry cleaning will begin to
    yellow it.  If you attempt to wash it in woolite (best way) be sure to
    use cold water, block it off, (so it won't shrink) and do not use a
    heated dryer to dry it.  A cool iron is not an option, it will be
    required!
    
    If you have a synthetic, anything you do will be fine, but in either
    case, keep those tzitit from tying themselves into additonal knots
    during washing. They are hard to untangle, and who needs more mitzvot
    to observe!?!

>    Be careful... If your Tallit is wool, a dry cleaning will begin to
>    yellow it.  

    My father is a retired dry cleaner.  He did all the talleisim for the
    the five shuls in Columbus, Ohio (for free, of course) and I can tell
    you for sure that he took the care necessary to clean talleisim of
    different materials in the proper manner for each.  If you take your
    tallis to a good, Yiddishe dry cleaner, you should be fine.  Sorry, but
    I can't offer names (I live in Colorado Springs).  By the way, I
    suspect that "good" is more important than "Yiddishe" as a
    qualification for doing the right kind of cleaning on a tallis.  The
    "Yiddishe" part increases the likelihoof of "respect" referred to in
    the base note.

    Sid

    Congratulations!
    
    When my half-Sephardic husband and I got married we were wrapped in his
    tallit together during the ceremony.  It was really nice.  Only problem
    was keeping my holding the tallit on (my right hand) while I drank from
    the cup (same hand).  It kept slipping off my satin dress.  But it was
    worth it.  I felt so close to him.  (A satin tallit is not the best
    because it's more slippery.)
    
    Just be sure the tallit is big enough to go around both of you with all
    your finery on.   To get it back on you, nicely arranged, before you
    return down the aisle, you may want to ask one of your parents to
    assist you.  You'll probably be too preoccupied to do it neatly
    yourself.  A small point, but remember your triumphant return is a big
    photo opportunity and you don't want the tallit tangled for posterity.
    
    An idea for not tangling the tzizit when washing (I've never done
    this):  Make tubular bags for each corner, long enough for the fringe
    and just wide enough to slide it in.  Stitch the bag across the top. 
    Remove after washing if you spread it on a rack to dry, or after drying
    (no heat) if you put it in the dryer.  If it's wool, iron while still
    slightly damp to get it really smooth.  I wash wool in the machine on
    delicate cycle with Woolite.  
    
    Best of luck.  You'll love it.  It's wonderful.
    
    One more thought - I only regret we didn't audiotape the rabbi's
    comments; he was at his most eloquent.  
    
    -Laura
    
    

    Isn't the chosen's (bridegroom's) tallis supposed to be used for
    the chuppah (the wedding canopy)?
    
    My daughter currently in a Yeshivah says that the question there
    is what tradition are you "holding".  What is the minhag (customary
    tradition) for your family  or background?  When I was in more orthodox
    shuls (Crown Heights in Brooklyn) I was told that unmarried gentlemen
    do not wear a tallis, but in other shuls I have seen young men wear
    them  (Conservative shuls).   Regardless of where you are "holding", I 
    understand that the tallis also accompanies you throughout your
    life cycle events and with which you will be buried ..... like a 
    holy witness to the important events on this earth.
    
    About a cleaners, I always ask such questions of Rabbi Polack at
    Boston University Hillel.  He has an encyclopedic memory for these
    kind of details.  Also if you are having an orthodox Rabbi perform
    the ceremoney he may have set opinions about the role of the tallis.
    Perhaps you may want to confer with him.
    
    In any event, MAZEL TOV.
    
    RR
     
    

    Thanks for all the inputs and good wishes.  I called my local
    temple (now shouldn't of thought of that first) and they recommended
    quality cleaners in Framingham, they explained that it is owned by one
    of the members...so I would guess they could do a good (& correct) job
    on it.
    
    re.8 My tallis is wool so hopefully it won't slide too much...but.. my
    wedding is planned to be outdoors (cermony only) so wind may be a
    factor.  It seems that I may have to do some thinking about how to keep
    it from blowing too much.  Anybody know of any low wind resistant
    tallises {only kidding :-)}.
    
    re .10 I will be married by a conservative Rabbi.  He told me that I
    could use the tallis on the chuppah but Sephardic tradition involves
    the wrapping of the bride and groom.  The place where I am having it is
    kosher and has a very nice chuppah already so that is why I will not be
    using my tallis on the chuppah.
    
    By the way if anybody needs a nice kosher place in northern Westchester
    county in N.Y. the name of the place is Colonial Terrace, Peekskil N.Y.
    Actually I heard they are a quality place I will know by experience
    after June.
    
    By the way another tradition in my family (I think this came from the
    Sephardic side) is to serve Jordon Almonds right after the ceromony at
    the beginning of the reception.  Jordon Almonds are basicly sugar
    covered almonds.  It is supposed to bring luck!
    Anybody else heard of this?
    

    A thought about after the ceremony:
    
    My husband and I chose to be sequestered immediately after the
    ceremony, although we are not orthodox.  It worked out really well.  It
    gave us a chance to relax, put our feet up, have a bite to eat and
    something to drink, and most important be alone together in our first
    moments of marriage.  (And even use the bathroom. . .)
    
      The tradition is to serve chicken soup, but we
    got a platter of the appetizers and seltzer with lemon.  Lucky - it was
    the only appetizers WE got to eat.  Things get really busy when you hit
    the crowd, and you barely get a moment together again until it's all
    over.  We took 45 minutes and it was worth all of it. Just to look in
    each other's eyes and say, "Well, we did it!  You are now my spouse. 
    Hello." is worth every minute.
    
    If you can get a private room with attached toilet, that's ideal.  Get
    someone to guard the door so no rude one barges in.  Only thing you
    give up is the receiving line, but no great loss.  Highly recommended. 

Well I know that it is a tradition (don't know where from) to give a candy bar to
children (though I apply this to adults too) on the first day of school.  The
"chocolate" signifies a "sweet year", so maybe it is the same sort of tradition!