Posted on March 4, 2019
There is no doubt that of all our festivals, Purim is the most joyous. 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 jubilant 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 Beth David, we take celebrating very seriously!
Purim Shpiel-Nightmare before the Bnei Mitzvah: Wedn. night, March 20, at 7:00 p.m. Come dressed up or not all. Wait, I didn’t mean it quite like that. You can dress up as anything or just yourself as we see the whole Jewish calendar disappearing. Two kids freak out about their upcoming Bnei Mitzvah and their uncle decides to tinker with time to remove the source of their anxiety. Crazy, crazy fun as always. Sharon Matalon and Mulu Harrison have out done themselves. Afterwards, join us for a fun Bnei Mitzvah themed oneg. You will not have a more creative, engaging, and comprehensive Purim experience than at Beth David.
Purim carnival & silent auction: Sunday, March 24 @ 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. There will be bouncers, booths, reptiles, game truck, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, margaritas and beer, fruit, and hamantachen. Our auction will have gift cards for restaurants, sports tickets, and even a cemetery plot (I know it sounds bleak but it’s a great opportunity to save $). Our carnival and action have always been a great event that brings together the generations. 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 Jewish school, Brotherhood and Sisterhood to help make this day happen. If you would like to help out, contact our Director of Education, Irma Moskowitz or Education VP, Adam Bernstein.
We look forward to sharing the joys of Purim and its traditions with all of you. Chag Sameach!