This story is part of our ongoing series, The Chuppahs of St. Louis. Our goal is to share the stories behind the chuppahs that have sheltered generations of Jewish couples as they begin new lives together and to invite you to share your own. Together, we’ll explore the love, artistry and memory woven into each canopy, one chuppah at a time.
When Beth Koritz began planning her wedding in 1990, she knew she wanted to stand beneath something truly unique. “I wanted to be married under a chuppah that was unique, handmade, personal and would become a family heirloom,” she said.
Beth designed a needlepoint pattern that included the Hebrew and English words from Song of Songs, “Ani L’dodi v’dodi li” (“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”). The centerpiece, a Magen David, is cleverly formed from the stylized letters spelling “LOVE.”
Once the design was set, the project became a true family collaboration. Beth, her mother Sue Koritz, her grandmother Melba Rosen (z”l) and her sister Debbie Lefton each took turns with the needle and thread. Five months later, they had not just a chuppah, but a piece of family history stitched with patience, love and shared purpose. “It was truly a labor of love,” said Beth.
A thread through generations
More than three decades later, that same chuppah has been part of six family weddings, including those of three children, one grandchild, a niece and a nephew, with a seventh coming this month in Tel Aviv. It has traveled from St. Louis to Florida, New Orleans and soon to Israel, each time carrying the family’s story with it.
“It’s been heartwarming to see this piece of art, created with so much care and love, be an important part of two generations of family weddings,” said Sue Koritz. “Not only have all three of our children and one of our grandchildren used this chuppah, but a nephew and a niece have also stood under it. And another grandchild will soon join them. Ours is a very close family, and this chuppah has become a thread running through that bond. I hope that many more couples, in generations to come, will stand under this chuppah and embrace the importance of family traditions and the love of those who have gone before.”
For Sue, the chuppah lives at the intersection of art and tradition, a handmade expression of love that’s become her family’s signature symbol.
Sue Koritz’s daughter Debbie Lefton remembers working on the chuppah for her sister’s wedding and later standing beneath it for her own. “Mike and I were the second couple to get married under the chuppah, and our dream was always to have our kids do the same,” she said. “As parents, there’s nothing that touches us more than knowing [my daughter] Sydney and [her fiancé] Almog will be standing under the same canopy that we did.”
A living heirloom, one stitch at a time
Before each wedding, the family needlepoints a new personalized strip with the couple’s names and wedding date, then carefully attaches it to the border. “It allows everyone to continue to be part of something special,” said Lefton. “Even if it’s just a few rows, every stitch connects us.”
With every journey, the family’s devotion to preserving the chuppah grows stronger. “It has traveled before,” said Lefton with a laugh. “If we thought we were nervous sending it to Florida, well, to Israel and back is another story. You can be assured that the chuppah will be traveling with us on the plane. There’s no way we’re taking any chances of it getting lost.”
For Sydney Lefton, whose wedding will mark the chuppah’s seventh use, the moment carries both family and spiritual meaning. “It means so much to be the first one to take our family chuppah overseas,” she said. “To stand under it in Israel, our people’s homeland, feels incredibly powerful and special.”
Sydney added that after recent painful months in Israel, the moment feels especially poignant. “After such a painful time, this feels like an act of hope and healing,” she said. “It’s an honor to carry our family’s history with me into this huge moment in my life, and to add a new chapter to the chuppah’s story.”
She already imagines the future. “I definitely hope to pass the chuppah down to my children one day,” Sydney Lefton said. “Passing it on means carrying forward strength, hope and history to the generations of our family still to come.”
Do you have a family chuppah or other heirloom that’s been part of your simchas for generations? We’d love to hear your story. Email Jordan Palmer at [email protected] with “Family Chuppah” in the subject line.
