Hadar &
Nadav
Wedding Website / About Us

Hadar Harris

I am 28 years old, born in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the age of two, my parents, Harold and Esme, made aliyah with me and my older brother Alon. At first, we lived in an absorption center in Karmiel.

When I was four, my family left Karmiel to join 30 South-African families in founding the nearby settlement of Manof, where I was raised. My twelve years of schooling were entirely in the nearby Misgav Regional School.

Tennis played a significant role in my young life. I loved the game, and drew from it plenty of enjoyment and positive energies. I also represented Israel in international competetions.

In January 1995, I enlisted to the IDF, where I was trained in education and Israel studies. I have been in the IDF's Education Corps ever since, and today I am the Education Officer of a brigade, at the rank of Major.

Almost three years ago, the IDF sent me to study for a degree in the University of Haifa. It was during those studies that I met the love of my life, Nadav.

Nadav Har'El

I am 30 years old. I was born in Haifa, Israel, where I lived most of my life with my parents Zvi and Zahava, my sister Michal, my late brother Gilead, and a number of pets.

In my childhood, we also spent a total of about 5 years in the United States, during my father's post-doctorate, sabbatical, and other visits.

As a boy I always loved learning — especially the sciences such as chemistry, computers, physics, mathematics, electronics, and so on. Since, I have earned a master's degree in Mathematics from the Technion, but much of my career has revolved around computers. For the last two years, I've been working in IBM's Haifa Research Labs. Before that, I worked for the Ministry of Defense and in Radware.

Two years ago, a week after I started working in IBM and when I was thinking my life couldn't get any better, it did get better — much better. It was then that I met my true love and future wife, Hadar.

The wedding date is special for every couple, but for us it is extra special, because the first time we spoke was exactly two Hebrew years before.

This was on Lag Ba'omer eve, May 19^th 2003, and we went on our first date on the following day, May 20. Our first date was in the Mandarine cafe in Haifa's Carmel Center. Our second date was a movie, and the third, believe it or not, was watching the Eurovision song contest with two of Hadar's friends, Lauren and Inbar.

At the time, Hadar was in the first year of her studies in the University of Haifa (she was sent there by the army). Nadav was working a walking distance from the university, in IBM's Haifa Research Laboratory. Our apartments were also conveniently close — a mere 2 kilometers apart.

On April 1^st 2004, we moved in together.

In July 2004, Hadar finished her studies in the University of Haifa. At that stage, she was not only still a bachelor, but also became a Bachelor of Arts!

Right afterwards, in the beginning of August, Hadar went back to the army. The new conditions were hard on both of us, but we were happy to find that the saying "Love Conquers All" was indeed correct, and that our love was only growing stronger.

In the evening of November 1^st, 2004, Hadar came back home, and was surprised to find a path of white rose petals leading to the door. When she walked in, she found the living room filled with flowers and lit with dozens of candles, with Nadav all dressed up and excited, waiting to pop the question. He did, and Hadar naturally gave the right answer, and this is how we got engaged.