Love was in the air in Queens on January 7, when people YAI supports, friends, and staff gathered at the chapel at Dawson Manor residence to celebrate the commitment ceremony of Melvin Kaplan and Joan Rosenberg.
“Melvin and Joan were extremely excited for this beautiful moment in their lives and so were their peers and the staff who supported them,” said Janelle Maxwell, Assistant BIS at Astoria Manor, who coordinated the event.
Rosenberg, 79, and Kaplan, 82, both residents of Astoria Manor 2 (a YAI residence) have been partners since 1974. Their love story began decades ago at a workshop in Jamaica, Queens.
“I didn’t like him right away,” Rosenberg laughed, recalling an early mishap involving an overturned punch bowl and a teasing chorus of “Joanie! Joanie!” from Kaplan and his friends. The moment didn’t dampen what would become a lifelong bond.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Springfield Gardens, Queens, Rosenberg has lived in several IRAs and residences over the years, including Rego Park and Bayside. Through it all, she and Kaplan have remained devoted to one another and this winter, they decided it was time to have their union formally blessed.
Rabbi Jonathan Pearl of Ashreynu, their temple in Astoria, officiated the ceremony alongside Rebbetzin Judy Pearl. “Planning Joan and Melvin’s wedding was such an exciting time,” Maxwell said. “Seeing how happy they were about getting married was truly special.”
Rosenberg arrived in a long wedding gown and stole, fastened with a pearl brooch, her veil flowing and her rollator decorated with garlands of flowers. Kaplan looked dapper in a tuxedo and wingtip shoes. Maxwell shared that when Kaplan’s suit arrived, he proudly tried it on for everyone and kept asking when Rosenberg’s dress would come. “I’d remind him, ‘You don’t see the bride’s dress until the day of,’” she said. “He’d laugh and say ‘Okay, Janelle,’ then ask again an hour later.”
During the ceremony, Rabbi Pearl offered blessings in Hebrew and English. Rosenberg and Kaplan sipped from a goblet of grape juice and exchanged vows beneath a flower-decorated arch, joined by friends in person and others watching online. In a joyful finale, Kaplan broke the traditional glass under his foot.
Rabbi Pearl prepared a certificate in Hebrew and English, signed by the rabbi, Rebbetzin Pearl, Rosenberg, Kaplan, and Astoria Manor resident Larry Plotnick as witness. The celebration continued with a toast of sparkling cider—“L’Chaim!”—and slices of wedding cake.
The happy couple are now looking ahead to a honeymoon in Florida. “I wish Joan and Melvin a beautiful, long marriage filled with lots of hugs, kisses, and laughs,” Maxwell said. And judging by the smiles in the room, they’re already well on their way.