Wedding

Vera Lev and Ari Zakem were married on June 4, 2006 at the Woodend Mansion and Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Rabbi Joshua Burrows and Cantor Gabriella Burrows from Washington Hebrew Congregation officiated the ceremony. The couple reside in Arlington, Virginia.

The bride grew up in Walnut Creek, California and is the daughter of Raisa Gelfand. She attended the University of San Francisco and majored in politics and economics. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in government with emphasis in foreign policy and international security from the Johns Hopkins University. She is also a policy analyst at Science Application International Corporation.

The groom grew up in Chicago, Illinois and is the son of Brian and Carolyn Zakem. He is the brother of Shoshana Zakem. He attended the Johns Hopkins University and majored in international relations and Spanish. He will be pursuing an M.A. in international security policy and is currently an analyst with the United States Department of Defense.

The couple will honeymoon in the Mediterranean this Fall.