How a "NJG" Finally marrIES HER soulmate

​ My Story : How a  51 year old 'Nice Jewish Girl' finally ends up marrying her Soulmate

Nov 2007. Jonathan Cabessa in Montreal signed into JWed. So did Hanna Newstead in London, UK. "Hi, how are you?" said Jonathan to Hanna. There began 2 months of casual communication on written Skype. We also talk a couple of times on Skype. Then he disappears. No communication for a long while. Apparently, I didn't give off the right vibes of showing interest!
 
Fast forward 4 years or so, we strike up a conversation again. Jonathan seems a little hesitant - maybe its because he's still not divorced - it's dragging on a bit. Hanna is thinking she would be open to a visit to Montreal, or Jonathan visiting London - after all, surely we can move things on a little bit. They talk some more, nothing progresses. Bla Bla Bla. Nothing again for a long while. Hanna dates and continues her search for her Knight in Shining Armour. Jonathan dates more locally to him.
 
Fast forward to 2014
Holidays, October 2014 - Hanna goes to Israel to look for a  husband with a little more "spice". Her teacher in the courtyard of the Ari Synagogue in Sfat, advises "be open - do this, do that". She feels blessed. She perseveres - she is not going to give up.
 
She returns to Ra'anana after the holidays, preparing for her return to the UK. No spicy husband material as yet. Then, Ping - Facebook Messenger " Hi,Hanna - how are you? I'm living in Paris now!"  Guess who? Hanna thinks "Oh, no, not you again!". "Would you like to meet? I'll come to London" He says. "What Chutzpah, after all this time" Hanna thinks.
 
Well, she thought about it a bit - "I'll meet him, get it over and done with - at least I will have made the effort, then I can go and find my "spicy" husband.
 
"So, how about in the New Year?" he says. "Are you kidding me? I want to get this over and done with" she thinks. "How about Chanukah?" "Cannot do it, I'm working - sorry" he says. "So? Nu? Y'alla -when?" she asks.
 
"Hi Hanna - I've booked for 27th December!". Gulp.
It's finally happening she thinks, resignedly.
 
Fast forward to 27th Dec. First date - Sabbath, 7pm Chabad Community, London location. "Yes, he's actually tall, darkish and handsome, however it's just a date - stay cool" she thinks. "OMG this Sephardi (Jews traditionally from Spain, North Africa and Middle East) sings really loud" she thinks (this Ashkenaz woman, - Jews traditionally from Europe and much more subdued) - no way I can stay low key tonight.. And the Rabbi is telling him to sing even louder! How embarrassing for me - Doesn't he realise this is the first date?
 
Shabbat morning in synagogue, lunch at the Rabbis apartment, Lunch plus singing - OMG - here we go again. The Rabbi's wife asks "how long have you known him?" - "Erm, well I have been in touch with him for 7 years and met him for the first time yesterday!" "So, what do you think", she says chuckling to herself, with loud joyous singing in the background. "Well, we'll see" Hanna says dismissively. Hanna can't wait to get away from the Sabbath crowd to calm her nerves.
 
Fast forward to the afternoon. "Phew, that's better, I can relax now with normal voice volumes" thinks Hanna. "Let's do a Shul crawl" he says. "Ok"- I take him on a tour of the local London Synagogues in the afternoon.
 
Sabbath Evening - He's supposed to leave tonight on the Eurostar. However, he says, "I'd like to spend more time with you tomorrow - would you like me to stay?" "Oh, Ok", I respond. Our first adventure together begins at the Eurostar counter to change his ticket for the next evening! What a lovely evening we had - a tour around London in the snow and walking along the Thames. "I think I quite like him" thinks Hanna. "RELAX". "I'll pick you up at 10.30am!" he says.
 
Fast forward to the following day - Sunday. At the apartment.
 
"Hi - Come in!" Teas and coffees all round. Background music from Michael Buble to Buddha Bar, including a fabulous rendition of Los Bibilicos. So we danced, and then we laughed alot, and then we started to get ready to go out for lunch. However, then some magic happened.....: "Would you like to be my wife?" he says. "GULP." I choke.
 
Fast forward to the evening - time to go back to Paris. "I'll speak to you when I get back and hope to see you soon again!" He says. Hanna hears him shout as he goes through the barrier "I love you!"
GULP. GOSH. "I suppose he does - he wants to marry me!" she thinks.
 
Fast forward to 5 weeks later. Hanna had made enquiries to the authorities regarding marriage in Israel, just in case - Her dream? - Sfat, the north of Israel, just after Shavuot - May/ June.
" What if I WERE to marry him? Need to find out how, procedures etc". I enquired secretly. Then, boom - the email landed from the authorities. "Congratulations to you and your FIANCE!!!" GULP
 
I call France. "Hi, honey, apparently I'm your Fiance!" " Well, are you?" he says. Hanna feels like the moment is now, to trust, to let go, to go for it, finally allow herself some true happiness
" YES!..YES!..YES!" I crossed my sea.. in the middle day of the week of  that week - just like when the Israelites crossed their sea before they knew it was going to open up. It was the moment when all Yoni and Hanna's IF's become WHEN. 
 
Fast Forward to Israel - May 2015. Henna night, Natanya, the day after Shavuot.
 
Fast forward to one week later - Sunday 13 Sivan, (Gemini month)  the Sephardi synagogue of the Holy Sage Ari Hakadosh, Sfat
 
Mr and Mrs Hanna and Avraham Yoni Cabessa leave the synagogue with their family and friends...for the best party of their lives....BAH.
 
Fast forward to August 2020 - Happy to say that both of us are still happily working on our MMIT and MWIT qualifications – ‘Married Man In Training’ and ‘Married Woman In Training’!