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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: "Joseph C. Kaplan" <A
href="mailto:jkaplan@tenzerlunin.com">jkaplan@tenzerlunin.com</A><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>>>I was somewhat behind on my Avodah reading and thus had the
opportunity to read the entire thread (to date) about children at a parent's
wedding, and my reaction, after reading all the posts was, in typical Jewish
fashion, a question: why should there be any minhag at all? ....Wouldn't
it be better if the decision is based on what best for the members of this
particular family? <<</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>Although I have given a number of reasons why children generally did not go
to their parents' weddings in old Europe, I would like to point out that I was
consistently careful to use the word "practice" and not "minhag" because I don't
think there really was a minhag in the same way you might refer to a minhag to
wear a gartel. Minhag Yisrael kedin hu means you generally don't change a
minhag but this was not a "minhag" in that sense, it was just the accepted
practice. I sympathize with the old practice but I actually
do agree that this should be decided on a case by case
basis.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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