Pandemic Seals the Deal
for Newly Engaged Couples
SOPHIE PANZER | JE STAFF,
Zach Wasserman and Anna Franzini
F or Zach Wasserman and Anna Franzini,
2020 was an opportunity to put their
relationship into perspective.

“A pandemic will defi nitely help you make a
decision one way or the other, whether you want to
be together for the rest of your life,” Wasserman said.

Th e couple got engaged on July 11, as they were
getting ready to leave New York City to be closer to
family in Philadelphia. Th ey had already designed
a ring together, so he planned a ruse to maintain
the element of surprise when he fi nally popped the
question. Wasserman convinced Franzini to accompany him
on a hike in the Hudson Valley with some of their
friends, who pretended to back out at the last minute
so they could go alone. Th ey hiked to the top of a
mountain, and when Franzini asked Wasserman to get
the snacks out of his backpack, he pulled out the ring.

In a year of seemingly endless cancellations,
they’re one of many Jewish couples who have decided
to commit to each other despite the uncertainties of
a global pandemic.

6 MARCH 25, 2021
Courtesy of Zach Wasserman
Rebekah Th omas said yes to Devin Schecter on
Dec. 22.

“It had been a horrible year for everybody. I only
know a few examples of people who have thrived. But
there was something about the year and having it all
be so crappy from the end of March that I wanted to
kind of go out with a bang, end the year on a good
note,” Schecter said.

He took Th omas to Manayunk, where they went
for their fi rst date. He told her it was just dinner, but
his friends and family members were there to put
out fl owers and take pictures. Th omas had hoped he
would propose soon, and she got the confi rmation
she was waiting for before they left .

“Th is silly, silly guy here left his text message
conversation open with his buddy from college, his
old roommate, saying that he was going to ask my
dad for permission to marry me,” she said.

Adam Stepansky proposed to Pamela Mahler
on June 13 during a day trip to New Hope. Mahler
sensed something was afoot when Stepansky, who is
not particularly outdoorsy, suggested they take a hike
MAZEL TOV!
down a path by the river, where he recited a speech
about their love and got down on one knee.

Th e couple had been dating long distance before
February 2020, when Mahler moved from New York
City to join Stepansky in Wayne. Six weeks aft er they
moved in together, pandemic shutdowns began.

Stepansky knew there was no one else he would
rather be stuck in quarantine with.

“I found the pandemic oddly comforting,” he said.

“I kind of was starting to feel in my heart, but this
helped make it really clear to me that Pam was the
right person for me to spend my life with.”
Th omas, Schecter, Wasserman and Franzini
agreed that the pandemic made them realize they
had made the right choice.

Th omas said that even though there were points
when she and Schecter wanted to strangle each other in
the early days of the crisis, they ultimately grew closer.

“We’re still getting along and we just love each
other’s company, and thankfully it did not tear us
apart,” she said.

Franzini said the new normal has highlighted
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



Name: Hot Foot
Width: 3.625 in
Depth: 4.75 in
Color: Black
Comment: Mazel Tov
Making Women Look
And Feel
Beautiful Beautifu l !!! !!!!!!!!!
Adam Stepansky proposes to Pamela Mahler.

Courtesy of Pamela Mahler
Rebekah Thomas and Devin Schecter
. Courtesy of Rebekah Thomas
OPEN FOR WALK IN, CURBSIDE & PRIVATE SHOPPING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
We continue to have fun with each other, even through the
challenges of what’s going on in the outside world.”
ANNA FRANZINI
the importance of partners being a support
system for each other and the value of giving
each other space when they need it. Being able
to make each other laugh has helped them
through the diffi culties of the past year.

“We continue to have fun with each other,
even through the challenges of what’s going on
in the outside world,” she said.

Even in the midst of overwhelming uncer-
tainty, conversations about the future, including
planning a Jewish life, are still taking place.

Th omas and Schecter have decided to have a
Jewish wedding, and they want their future
children to attend synagogue and Hebrew
school. Th ey’re still thinking about whether
they want to pursue Jewish day school.

When Mahler fi rst moved to the area, she
and Stepansky were excited to shop around
for a synagogue that felt like a good fi t. Th at
didn’t pan out due to social distancing limiting
services, but they explored how to create a
Jewish life in other ways. Mahler made a full
Rosh Hashanah dinner for the fi rst time in the
fall and started learning how to bake challah.

Stepansky said being with Mahler refreshed
his connection to Judaism.

“She prioritizes some of the customs and
rituals in a way that makes it feel very approach-
able and inviting and loving, and the idea of
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM sharing my Judaism with a partner is really
appealing to me,” he said.

Th ey originally scheduled their wedding for
August 2021, but decided to push it back until
May 2022.

“You know, we’re going to be together
forever. What’s another however many months
to have the celebration be what we want it to
be?” Mahler said.

Th e other couples are also eyeing a wedding
date in May 2022.

Wasserman and Franzini hope the
pandemic will be over by then so they can have
a dance party with their loved ones sans social
distancing. Schecter still feels hesitant about the date
because he can’t be sure whether safety restric-
tions will remain, but wanted to commit to a
time frame anyway.

“We’ve heard a lot of stories about people
who are going through these events, you know,
trying to plan a wedding during this pandemic,
and it seems like it’s all turning into an issue,”
he said. “But somebody told me, ‘You know
what, we’re not getting any younger here.’ So, at
a certain point, we have to be OK with some of
these restrictions.” ❤
JUSTA T F FARM SHOPPING CENTER
TA 1966 County Line Road, Huntingdon Valle
V Valley, y, y P PA 19006
HOT-FOOT-BOUTIQUE.SHOPTIQUES.COM 215-969-9626 • HOT-FOO
T T-FOO
T T-BOUTIQUE.SHOPTIQUES.COM
Name: Philadelphia Protestant Home
Width: 3.625 in
Depth: 5.5 in
Color: Black
Comment: Mazel Tov
Ad Number: 00093974
spanzer@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
MAZEL TOV!
MARCH 25, 2021
7