Silent Courtship Becomes a Symbol of Faith and Healing

The article opens with the writer watching ornamental grasses in a park, comparing their wind-driven movement to a wordless conversation. That reflection leads into the story of Brakhi and Menashe, an engaged couple whose match, the writer says, leaves people “without words” and grateful for God’s care.

Brakhi grew up in Bnei Brak, studied at Wolf Seminary, and was a normal, gifted child until age 12, when she was hit by a car while crossing the street. She suffered a severe head injury, was unconscious for a week, spent a year in rehabilitation at Sheba Tel Hashomer, and was left with a small brain injury that affected speech. Her leg was also injured but eventually healed completely. Though she cannot speak, she became a cheerful, social, sensitive young woman who connects with people in her own way.

Menashe lives in Ganei Hadar and studies at Nachlat Haleviim. At 17, a virus first paralyzed his hand, then his leg, and eventually reached the speech center, where it stopped. He also cannot speak, yet is described as outgoing, happy, sensitive, and easy to connect with. Their engagement, the writer says, felt like a wedding, full of dancing, excitement, and love.

The couple met through Hana Fisher of Ramat Elchanan, whom the writer describes as a kind of messenger for arranging marriages. After their meeting, there was a period of “magical” dates and “light in the eyes,” with many written messages between them, and the final agreement and upcoming wedding followed. The writer imagines their parents, especially Brakhi’s mother, seeing how carefully they were brought together, and asks how God joins people who cannot rely on speech, but on the deeper language of the heart.