fbpx

The Revelry & Joy of Purim

Posted on February 1, 2018

There is no doubt that of all our festivals, Purim is the most fun. What other holiday can kids as well as adults dress up in costume, act irreverently, laugh, get a little wild, and for adults to have the Mitzvah of drinking alcohol? I’m not joking; it is literally a Mitzvah, a commandment, to drink on Purim so much that one doesn’t know the difference between “Blessed Mordecai” or “Cursed be
Haman.” In all fairness, though, the rabbis did try to moderate the drinking part and lessen the amount one must or should drink on this joyous holiday.

The essence of Purim is to be joyful, silly, and celebrate our people’s survival from those who wished to destroy us. On this day we read the story of Esther, eat Hamentaschen, give Shlach Manot, “portions of food” to friends, charity to the poor, drink and be merry. The rabbis stated: Mi shenikhas adar marbim be-simcha, “with the start of the month of Adar we greatly increase joy.” Well the Hebrew month of Adar is upon us and so is Purim. At Temple Beth David, we take celebrating and joy very seriously!

Purim carnival & silent auction: Sunday, February 25 @ 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. There will be bouncers, booths, face painting, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, margaritas and beer, fruit, and hamantachen. This has always been a great event that brings together the generations of TBD. We are one of the few synagogues to host our very own carnival and the energy and excitement on this day is amazing. Feel free to invite your friends and neighbors. We are blessed to have many volunteers from our religious school, Brotherhood and Sisterhood to help make this day
happen. If you would like to help out, contact our Director of Education, Elizabeth Kleinman or Education VP, Adam Bernstein.

Purim-A Night at Barnes & Noble:  Wednesday night, February 28, at 7:00 p.m.  Come dressed as your favorite character from a book. That night you will see and hear from Sherlock Holmes, Mother Goose, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Dr. Phil McGraw, George Washington, Carl Sagan Jane Goodall, RuPaul, Heidi Klum, Dracula, Katniss, and more! Crazy, crazy fun as always. Sharon Matalon and Mulu Harrison have out done themselves. You will not have a more creative, engaging, and comprehensive Purim experience than at Temple Beth David. We look forward to sharing the joys of Purim and its traditions with all of you. Chag Sameach!