Caroline Hannah Goldfarb never imagined herself dating a shofar player, especially not a prominent one in Los Angeles. Conversely, Michael Craig Gropper had absolutely no interest in social media, let alone an internet personality.
However, an unexpected matchmaking committee, comprising cousins and friends who appeared with four children at Ms. Goldfarb’s parents’ door on Halloween 2024, had already decided these two were a perfect match.
“A shofar player, really?” thought Ms. Goldfarb, 35. She was used to the ram’s horn’s spiritual wake-up call during High Holiday services, often feeling “half asleep and bored out of my gourd.”
“It doesn’t have the sex appeal of a lead guitarist,” explained Ms. Goldfarb, a comedy writer and producer whose career blossomed after her Instagram account, known for its audacious pop culture commentary, gained popularity in 2016.
A writer and producer for various shows, including HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” Ms. Goldfarb holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Northwestern University. She is currently developing a project for DreamWorks Animation in Los Angeles.
At just four years old, a lively Michael Gropper visited his rabbi’s office in Tustin, California, with his preschool class. He picked up a ram’s horn and, to the rabbi’s astonishment, played it with ease. His New York grandparents further nurtured this talent by sending him a shofar for his fifth birthday, which happened to fall on Yom Kippur. That very day, he was invited to play it at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana, California.
“I was a natural noisemaker,” recalled Mr. Gropper, 38. He now owns 14 shofars and can expertly play ‘Happy Birthday’ on a ram’s horn and the ‘Superman’ theme on an antelope horn, demonstrating a seven-note range. He describes the shofar as “a natural trumpet precursor to brass instruments.”
Frequently set up by the Los Angeles Jewish community, Mr. Gropper eventually agreed to a date just to satisfy his friends. Ms. Goldfarb, on the other hand, recalled her paternal great-grandmother Hannah’s wisdom: “What do you have to lose?”
Mr. Gropper also serves as the director of development for the Western Region at American Friends of Bar-Ilan University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, specializing in ethnomusicology, from San Diego State University, and later a master’s in organizational leadership and innovation from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles.
“I am single, Jewish and looking for a partner in Los Angeles,” he texted Ms. Goldfarb. She initially found his approach “disturbingly rizzless” (lacking charisma) but quickly appreciated his “refreshingly upfront” and intriguing honesty.
Discovering they lived an hour apart – he in Venice Beach, she in Toluca Lake in the San Fernando Valley – he gallantly offered to make the drive for their first date that Saturday evening.
Spotting her in a striking long black dress at Cosette Wine Bar, he remembered thinking, “I really hope that’s who I’m meeting.”
“She was beautiful,” he remarked, while she described him as “surprisingly tall and handsome.”
Ms. Goldfarb had previously sent a text, fabricating an 8 p.m. birthday party as an easy escape. Yet, she became so engrossed in conversation about family, their shared love for Los Angeles, and specific foods like sour candy, gummies, and tinned fish, that he had to remind her about the fictional party.
“My Persian mom put sardines in my lunch box,” Ms. Goldfarb shared, revealing her deep affection for tinned fish, which even led her to co-found Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. between writing projects during the pandemic.
He, too, enjoyed sprats, a detail that charmed her, as did the extra loaf of artisanal sourdough bread from the Farmers Market he offered from his car. As they departed, she, witnessing his enchantment, had to remind him about the bread he’d promised her.
With a goodnight hug, he promptly asked for a second date.
Just two days later, they met again at Carnival, a Lebanese restaurant in a Sherman Oaks strip mall. Despite the “harsh lighting,” she fondly recalled the “delicious food” from childhood visits, a sentiment he shared.
The restaurant owner unwittingly added a romantic touch, offering shots of Arak, an anise liqueur, and lentil soup as they discussed core values and significant questions, such as whether they desired children. Both eagerly wanted to start a family.
Later, in the parking lot, after a few subtle hints from her, their goodnight kiss sealed the evening.
“We were off to the races,” she declared after their third date that Friday in downtown Los Angeles. Soon after, he invited her to a Stevie Wonder concert, their favorite artist. They cooked sushi at home and discovered a shared passion for grocery shopping, particularly at Costco, where they’d often find themselves “debating over which olive oil is superior.”
During a nature walk in the Angeles National Forest, a stranger, captivated by their connection, asked to take their photograph.
“When I’m with Caroline, these magical things happen,” Mr. Gropper mused.
In February 2025, they began introducing each other to their families. This included his maternal “Grandma Rozi,” with whom he attends the Los Angeles Philharmonic annually for her birthday. That year, he invited Ms. Goldfarb to join them for a Mahler concert.
“This is my person, she is my family,” he thought, watching Ms. Goldfarb and his grandmother bond effortlessly over photos and tea at Grandma Rozi’s house.
Mr. Gropper wholeheartedly embraced Ms. Goldfarb’s Persian family traditions, particularly the food: sabzi polo (Persian herb rice), crispy tahdig, various stews at Shabbat dinners, and gondi (Persian matzo balls) at her uncle’s Super Bowl party.
When Mr. Gropper was invited to play the shofar at a Rams game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Yom Kippur 2025, he seized the opportunity to plan a unique proposal for Ms. Goldfarb.
On October 2nd, during halftime, he delivered a powerful blast on an oversized ram’s horn borrowed from a community member.
“I wasn’t nervous in front of 75,000 football fans,” he confessed, “but I was nervous to propose.” After the game, he knelt midfield, on the horn of the Rams’ team mascot, and proposed. They celebrated with 14 friends and family, including Grandma Rozi, at a private stadium club.
On February 7th, at the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades, California, Mr. Gropper announced his bride’s entrance with a magnificent blast from his kudu antelope shofar.
“It was like the coronation of kings,” he described, “coronating my queen,” as guests erupted in cheers. Ms. Goldfarb walked down the aisle to Louis Armstrong’s trumpet-filled rendition of “La Vie En Rose,” a heartfelt tribute to her paternal grandmother Miriam’s favorite Édith Piaf song.
Rabbi Ari Averbach of Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks, California, a cousin of the bride and a long-standing family friend of the groom, officiated the ceremony. Before 131 guests, they exchanged vows beneath a huppah draped in translucent silk organza, adorned with sepia-toned images of beloved departed relatives.
The bride, sporting a white crepe gown by Jane Hill Bridal of Australia, and no stranger to high-end footwear, proudly shared that her elegant lacy, pointed kitten heels were a savvy find from Target.
Later, changing into chic white Saucony sneakers embellished with lace and pearls, she joined the groom for the traditional Iranian petal dance, as guests showered them with blossoms. He wore a custom three-piece suit from Malibu Clothes in Beverly Hills, honoring a family tradition passed down from his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
“We had each written in our vows, without consulting each other, that we knew within the first month of dating that we’d found the love of our lives, and standing there, it felt undeniable,” Ms. Goldfarb recounted. “And in a more comedic but equally telling sign of alignment, we both independently mentioned Costco in our vows.”
On This Day
When Feb. 7, 2026
Where Bel-Air Bay Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Ketubah Treasure Hunt Their custom ketubah, an illuminated marriage contract, featured a delightful ‘treasure hunt’ of personal touches. Painstakingly illustrated by Judaica artist Elaine Adler, it included a tiny can of fish on a Persian Shabbat table, a Costco shopping cart, and three shofar players: the groom at Point Dume in Malibu, Kermit the Frog, and the Rams’ mascot.
Kermit and Miss Piggy Take the Cake Reflecting their playful spirit and ‘opposites attract’ love story, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy graced the top of their two-tier ‘corny corn flake cake,’ filled with passion fruit curd and buttercream. This unique creation, along with five sheet cakes, was crafted by their friend Gregory Rales, owner of Red Gate Bakery in Manhattan’s East Village.
Rockin’ With the Band During the reception, Michael surprised everyone, including his bride, by picking up a trumpet to join the band for Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish”— a feat, Ms. Goldfarb noted, he hadn’t attempted in 15 years.
Chai and Gummy Candy: Their wedding planner, Sara Simmonds, ensured a bounty of treats, from chai tea flowing from samovars and bowls brimming with fruit to a table of Persian sweets alongside another laden with the couple’s beloved gummies and sour candy.