Palm Beach synagogues plan Purim celebrations
Synagogues throughout the island will be celebrating Purim in grand style.
The holiday commemorates the saving of the Jewish people by Esther from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed. The story is recounted in the biblical Book of Esther.
The holiday runs Monday night through Tuesday night.
Palm Beach Synagogue
The temple will hold a "Great Family Hamentashen Bake" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday at its campus, 120 N. County Road. In addition to making hamentashen, an Ashkenazi Jewish triangular filled-pastry, there will be a DJ as well as a "Purim game show" and crafts at the event.
"On Sunday, we want to get the children into the spirit of the holiday," said the synagogue's Dini Scheiner. Children up to age 13 will bake the cookies with "toppings of their choice."
At 6:45 p.m. Monday, the synagogue will host a Cirque Du Soleil-style show called "Purim at the Cirqus." There will be a reading from the megillah (the Book of Esther) that will be projected onto video screens "so it comes to life for the children," Scheiner said.
A 100-foot tent will be erected for the show, which will include aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, mimes, "a living table" and unicyclists.
"It's a real time to celebrate. It's the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar," Scheiner said. "It's going to be over the top.''
Tickets are $72 per adult, though synagogue members and all youth and teen families can receive complimentary tickets. For more information, visit palmbeachsynagogue.org.
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The synagogue will hold its annual Purim at Publix from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Bradley Place store.
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the synagogue will hold its "Family Purim Masquerade and Carnival" at the Mandel Recreation Center, 340 Seaview Ave. In addition to carnival games, there will be a kids buffet dinner and Purim feast, a masquerade contest and an interactive children's megillah reading.
The event is for family with children up to age 13. To RSVP, go to palmbeachsynagogue.org or call 561-838-9002, ext. 4.
The Chabad House
The Chabad House will look to bring Paris to Palm Beach with its French-themed holiday event at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Colony, 155 Hammon Ave.
"Purim in Paris" will include gourmet cuisine, a multimedia megillah reading, a caricaturist and a performance by mentalist Ilan Smith.
Hindel Levitin, wife of Rabbi Zalman Levitin, said her husband went to Paris recently with some of the couple's children to visit family members, and was so enamored of the City of Light that he wanted to recreate the atmosphere for Purim.
Those attending are invited to dress up as French countrymen, which, while fun, is also meaningful to the holiday.
"Purim is all about a hidden miracle. It looks like the story [of Esther] happened coincidentally. ... God is kind of hidden in the story. Dressing up today reminds us that even though God may seem hidden, he is very much present and orchestrating all the details," she said.
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The cost is $60 per adult, $25 per child. Reservations can be made at palmbeachjewish.com/purim or by calling 561-659-3884.
The Chabad House will hold its annual Purim at Publix event at the Bradley Place store from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday.
At 6:45 p.m. Monday at Chabad House, 361 S. County Road, there will be a megillah reading (where noisemakers called graggers are used to drown out the name of Haman) and a complimentary light buffet.
Temple Emanu-el
The temple will participate in the sixth annual "One Big Purim" event from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the Mandel Jewish Community Center, 5221 Hood Road, Palm Beach Gardens.
The event will start with a "preschool preview" at 9:30 a.m. followed by a carnival ''for all ages'' at 10:30 a.m. that will include rides, bounce houses, a DJ, pizza and snacks.
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RSVP at JCConline.com/purim. For more information, call 561-712-5214 or email SummerS@JCConline.com.
On Monday, the temple at 190 N. County Road, will host a "Purim Party, '60s Style" from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The event includes a complimentary dinner, a megillah reading, '60s music, a DJ, face painting and a photo booth.
The temple will hold a Purim service and megillah reading at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. For more information, call 561-832-0804.
New Synagogue
For families with toddlers, the synagogue will hold a Purim celebration at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Rhythm & Hues, 5016 S. Dixie Highway. Register at www.newsynagogue.org/jewish-family-jams. There is no registration fee.
At 6 p.m. Sunday via Zoom, there will be a one-hour live discussion with rabbinic intern Yehuda Goldberg from Yeshiva University. His talk will address ''the Jewish character of the state of Israel within a broader religious and political context.'' Register at newsynagogue.org/virtual-roundtable-mar-5-jewish-laws-for-the-jewish-state. There is no registration fee.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach synagogues plan Purim celebrations
