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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>From: "Prof. Levine" <llevine@stevens.edu><BR>>It was never
an issue until seats were put out for the ceremony. Until<BR>>recently the
ceremony was always outside and all the people stood through<BR>>the entire
ceremony.? This is still done at many weddings. Putting out<BR>>seats &
having the ceremony inside seems to be the chukas hagoyim issue,<BR>>not
standing for C&K.[--RHM]<BR><BR>I recall being at an outside chupah at least
20 years ago when there<BR>were chairs set up and people
sat.<BR><BR><BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>You seem to think that "at least 20 years ago" was a long time
ago! and that something you saw done twenty years ago is an "old"
minhag! </DIV>
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<DIV>Actually there are numerous "ancient" minhagim that are widely known and
practiced today, yet are even less than twenty years old (e.g., 40 women
baking challa for a refuah sheleimah for a sick person ,or another example, the
L "chiyuv" of having diagonal menorah for Chanukah). The custom
of having everyone sit in neat rows for a chupa is an American custom, older
than 20 years but less than a hundred years old. It wasn't done in Europe,
certainly not in eastern Europe, I'm not sure about Germany. It
wasn't and still isn't done in Israel (except at my own wedding because paternal
affection yielded to daughterly wishes) (could be maybe a few other
weddings but I've never seen seating at a chupa in Israel other than my
own) Weddings in Europe were generally not conducted in shuls, they were
outside with people just crowding around.</DIV>
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<DIV>Despite the fact that sitting at a chupa is a new minhag, less than a
hundred years old, I nevertheless find the even newer minhag of standing up
for the chosson and kallah very annoying, because it blocks the view of everyone
except those lucky enough to have aisle seats. It ruins the whole
procession-down-the-aisle show.</DIV>
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<DIV><B><BR><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby Katz<BR>================</FONT><FONT
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