Wedding at Boonshoft CJCE

Marshall Weiss

The Dayton Jewish Observer

New Orleans JCC employee and girlfriend escape Katrina, wed at Boonshoft CJCE

Danielle and David Salib agree that their Sept. 14 wedding at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education in Centerville was meant to be. Members of the Jewish community might say it was bashert.

In the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 28, the two evacuated New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit.

Until then, David worked for the New Orleans JCC as a physical education/aerobic instructor and personal trainer. Danielle, a native Daytonian, is an artist; she also serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

“When we left, we thought it would be for a day or two,” David said.

They first drove to Houston and then on to Austin. When David and Danielle realized the extent of Katrina’s wrath and saw the mass exodus of refugees to those cities, they decided to continue on and stay with Danielle’s parents, who live in Kettering.

Once they arrived, David went to the Boonshoft CJCE to look for a job.

Though the DJCC isn’t hiring physical education staff, DJCC employees and Jewish Federation board members have tried to find David employment in the Miami Valley.

But Danielle and David have had other matters on their minds recently.

“After a few days in Dayton, we decided we’ll get married while we’re here,” David said.

They easily obtained their marriage license from Montgomery County. But Danielle and David — who are Eastern Orthodox — couldn’t find a priest to marry them on such short notice.

David, an Egyptian Christian, is a member of the Coptic Church. He was born in California and has lived in Egypt.

Fortunately, or perhaps bashert for them, the Montgomery County Probate Court employee who processed their marriage license was Deputy Clerk Ernie Stathes.

Ernie, also Eastern Orthodox, is a justice of the peace. He is also choir director of Dayton’s Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

“He said if we had difficulty finding a priest, to find him,” David said.

They arranged for Ernie to marry them the day after they received their license.

“He (Ernie) asked where he should meet us for the wedding,” David said. “The first thing in my mind was the JCC. I believe it came from the Lord.

“The JCC is my home. I spent more time there than at home or church.”

David said his hero is Thea Winnick-Turnbull, the wellness director at the New Orleans JCC who hired him. These days, Thea calls David on his cell phone to help him find work.

“Our biggest connection in New Orleans was the JCC,” Danielle said. “We both enjoy spending time at the JCC: the celebrations, the holiday festivals. And other JCCs we see are like this in values.

“This speaks very well of the whole Jewish community. The nicest people through this whole ordeal have been Jewish people.”

David said his clients from the New Orleans JCC have called him, concerned for their safety.

On three hours’ notice, Boonshoft CJCE staff members all pitched in to prepare a special room for the wedding, complete with flowers, candlelight, music and wine.

As a wedding gift, DJCC Program Director Marc Jacob also gave the couple a free one-year membership to the DJCC.

“Mr. Jacob has been very, very nice,” David said. “Not only him, but everybody.”

A few hours before the 6 p.m. wedding, David said he and Danielle would wear what he jokingly called “evacuation attire.”

Ultimately, they made a shopping trip to the Dayton Mall before arriving at the CJCE.

Those in attendance at the ceremony were the bride and groom, the justice of the peace, and this writer, who served as witness, photographer, and offered the Priestly Benediction for the couple in Hebrew.

Danielle’s parents were not at the ceremony; she said they would attend their religious wedding, which they plan to hold in the future.

The Salibs don’t know how long they’ll be here or when they’ll return to New Orleans.

David said the JCC in the suburb of Metairie might open soon, but the one uptown will take a few months at the least.

The Web site for Danielle’s apartment in New Orleans said to expect the worst. David has no idea what happened to his apartment.

But they have what’s most important — each other.

“To me,” David said, “this is better than any big ceremony. This comes from the heart.”

© 2005 The Dayton Jewish Observer