Aufruf (Yiddish: אויפרוף ofrif,oyfruf, ufruf/ifrif or אויפרופן ofrifn), which in Yiddish, means "calling up", is the Jewish custom of a groom being called up in the synagogue for an aliyah, i.e., recitation of a blessing over the Torah.[1] In the Ashkenazic Jewish community the aufruf ceremony is held on the Shabbat before the wedding; in the Sephardic and Mizrachi traditions, it is called Shabbat Hatan (lit. groom's Sabbath) and is held on the Shabbat after the wedding.
After the Torah reading, the congregation sings a congratulatory song and the women throw candies at the groom. In non-Orthodox congregations, the bride and groom may be called up to the Torah together.[2] It is customary for the family of the groom to invite the congregation to a festive kiddush after the services.[1]
It is common in many Ashkenazi Orthodox communities for the bride not to attend the aufruf because of the custom for the bride and groom to refrain from seeing each other for a week before the wedding. On the Shabbat before the wedding, the bride’s friends and loved ones, as well as women from the community, gather together to celebrate the bride, bring her joy, make her laugh, and help keep away the last minute jitters. This is called a Shabbat Kallah - the bride's Sabbath. [2]