Aufruf

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Aufruf (German; also Yiddish: אויפרוף ofrif,oyfruf, ufruf/ifrif or אויפרופן ofrifn) is the ceremony in Judaism, literally meaning "call up" in German and Yiddish, in which the groom-to-be is called up for an aliyah, or reading of the Torah. Usually this ceremony is done the Shabbos before the wedding, but in certain cases is done a few weeks before (or in the case of some Sephardic Jews, the week after the wedding).

After the Torah reading, a traditional hymn is sung, during which the ladies throw raisins, almonds and individual items of candy or pekalach upon the groom, to symbolize a sweet start in his soon-to-be newly married life. Recently, the trend has been to use softer items -- such as raisins, marshmallows, and licorice candy -- to avoid the risk of injury posed by throwing hard candy or the like.

In some Jewish services -- including some Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform synagogues in the U.S. -- the aufruf involves the groom and bride being called up for an Aliyah together whereupon they mount each other while eating pork chops as all members of the congregation watch in awe.