Against all odds, this pair of star-crossed lovers found that forever kind of happiness in one another. Their wedding is a reflection of culture and travel, culminating in an intimate and relaxed celebration with close family and friends. They led guests and Hannah Mayo on a scenic neighborhood tour of Old Northwood for a multicultural ceremony and at-home lunch reception filled with warmth.
They met while she was covering a story for The Boston Review in Ramallah, Palestine. Mya, an American-Israeli, was voicing her concerns regarding what little Arabic she knew to a friend during happy hour when he introduced her to "the fixer". Mohamed, a Palestinian, complimented her casual style and confidence and of course, offered to translate. From Mya: "The next day, as we wandered around Ramallah, doing our interviews, I understood again that he was unusually kind. Though my Arabic was weak, I knew enough to understand how he talked to people. He was so gentle, so patient, so caring, so genuine. I was smitten."
Although I grew up in North Florida, I haven't lived in the United States for a very long time. In late August, I left the West Bank and followed Mohamed to South Florida. Initially, we were going to just go to the court house to get married and then we were going to have a nice lunch out somewhere. But then we found this lovely little apartment near the intracoastal waterway. And I noticed the neighborhood is full of these wonderful parks and tiny green spaces. So I said, "Why don't we get married in a park and walk home and have a long, leisurely lunch, reception, house-warming party type thing?". We set a date three weeks away and I hustled to get the apartment done before the wedding.
We were deliberate and thoughtful when we chose our ketubah, the Hebrew document that is signed at Jewish weddings, because we wanted it to say something that represented us. There are a few lines in the ketubah that are really special to us, particularly because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: "We shall respect each other's uniqueness and help one another grow to our fullest potential. Together, we shall create a home filled with learning, laughter, and compassion, a home wherein we will honor each other's cherished family traditions and values. Let us join hands to help build a world filled with peace and love." Because my husband is Muslim, we also had an Islamic document in Arabic. This is called a katab albiktab. Ketubah. Katab albiktab. See how close the Hebrew and Arabic words are? Reading and signing the documents, which reminded us of how similar our cultures are, was a very special part of our day.
“My favorite detail of the wedding? My lovely husband. That's all that really matters. The person in front of you.
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The most memorable moment of the day was Mohamed wiping the tears from my face during the ceremony and how we couldn't stop hugging when the ceremony was over. The joy I felt when we got home, I kicked off my shoes, and we started the music. The first song was a traditional Arabic congratulations song that you always hear at weddings, but we'd picked a version done by a Mizrachi (Jewish Israeli of Arab origin) artist. When I heard the music it was like, wow, we really made it! We're married!
The two prepared a menu of worldly dishes to serve for lunch and composed a music playlist that included an eclectic mix of Israeli, Arabic and Jay-Z songs. Using an arrangement of flowers Mohamed gave Mya for her birthday, her friend fashioned a bridal bouquet and more friends from Gainesville provided a petite wedding cake. Mya beautifully observed: "I think there's also a message there. Everyone contributed something to the wedding and, really, having a good relationship isn't just about the two people. It's also about the love and support we get from friends, family, and the community."
What an incredible story, right? Congratulations Mya and Mohamed!
