Literally
because it really would make me happy to know someone else was
wearing it. I just hope she has an amazing wedding day!”
Most Orthodox engagements are short, too, meaning Shayna
Edney only had less than three months to find her wedding dress.

“Especially when your engagement period is only a few months,
there is not a lot of time to save for a wedding,” she noted.

While some seamstresses thrive within this time frame, it
doesn’t necessarily outweigh the cost.

After another failed attempt at David’s Bridal, and nothing
stood out at other gemach stores, Edney found her gown at a ge-
mach in Passaic, N.J., just 20 days before the August 2016 ceremo-
ny in Baltimore.

The gemach she visited was run out of a woman’s converted
basement; hundreds of white tulle variations lined each wall and
closet, organized by size.

Edney had the room to herself as the only client that day, so she
took her time — several hours, in fact — to find a match.

She chose a poofy tulle ballroom gown, bedazzled with mod-
est jewels on the bodice, which she rented for $250 ($200 went to
charity, the other for cleaning and repairs).

Fortunately, the dress was a perfect fit in style and size; no alter-
ations required. Post-nuptials, the dress was mailed back.

“A person getting a [modest] dress from a gemach is not so dif-
ferent than a person getting a regular dress from a store,” Edney
“ACTS OF KINDNESS AND GIVING ARE
NOT JUST FOR THE ORTHODOX — IT
IS A MITZVAH AND A QUALITY THAT
BINDS THE ENTIRE JEWISH NATION.”
explained. “The only difference is that the gemach dresses have
been worn before — but you would never be able to tell.”
The ones rented are in pristine condition, and consistent re-
pairs or alterations keep them looking fresh.

“When a person buys a dress from a regular store, it’s not like
you’re getting a one-of-a-kind — there’s hundreds of dresses out
there just like the one you bought,” she added.

Edney emphasized that gemachs aren’t just for Orthodox Jew-
ish weddings, nor should they be.

“Acts of kindness and giving are not just for the Orthodox — it
is a mitzvah and a quality that binds the entire Jewish nation,” she
said. “Dress gemachs should be for everyone of every religion and
every social status. There is no reason for every single bride to
spend $1,000-plus on a wedding dress when they can borrow from
a gemach, and then alter it as they please.

“I wish that more people would donate their wedding dresses
to gemachs,” she continued, “instead of leaving them in a box for
30 years until maybe their future daughter gets married and maybe
will wear their dress.” l
rkurland@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0737
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SIMCHAS OCTOBER 26, 2017
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