Time of Silliness, Celebration
Based on a tale of deliverance and looking like a cross between Mardi Gras and Halloween, Purim will be celebrated by members of Butler's B'nai Abraham synagogue, 519 N. Main St., March 2.
There will be eating and costumes and noisemakers and silliness during the 7 p.m. Puirm service, said B'nai Abraham's Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer.
Purim, which actually begins at sundown Wednesday, is based on the story of Esther.
The Book of Esther, also known in Hebrew as “the Scroll” (Megillah), is a book in the third section of the Jewish Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and relates the story of a Hebrew woman in Persia, born as Hadassah but known as Esther, who becomes queen of Persia and thwarts a genocide of her people, said Gray-Schaffer.
“She became queen and she was the most beautiful woman in his kingdom, but she hid her Jewishness,” said Gray-Schaffer.
“The king's evil adviser, Haman, became mad at the Jews and wanted to destroy them because Esther's Uncle Mordecai would not bow down to him,” said Gray-Schaffer.
She said, “Haman plotted to put all the Jews in the kingdom to death and cast lots (Purim) to decide the day.”
Gray-Schaffer said Mordecai discovers the plan, and implores Esther to intercede with the king.
Esther reveals herself to be a Jew to the king, who can't rescind Haman's proclamation but decrees the Jews have his leave to defend themselves from attackers, Gray-Schaffer said.
Over time Purim customs have become intertwined with the holiday including drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages, wearing of masks and costumes, and public celebration.
Ben Vincent, the B'nai Abraham custodian said, “Go to a Jewish neighborhood. It looks like Halloween. The kids are all dressed in costumes as famous rabbis and Biblical figures.”
“They go door to door and give gifts to the poor. They are delivering gifts as a reverse Halloween,” said Vincent. “They are giving gifts of food and money. Jewish culture understands it is a gift of love and concern.”
“There are special cookies that look like the three-cornered hat Haman wears,” said Gray-Schaffer.
Gray-Schaffer said B'nai Abraham will have a Purim service in keeping with the light-hearted nature of the holiday. The cantor said when the traditional prayers come up in the service “we ask them to whisper a prayer or sing it like a Munchkin.”
After the service, the congregation will take part in a Purim spiel, she said. “Every year I write a take-off on a musical. 'Little Orphan Annie' became 'Little Orphan Esther.' 'The Wizard of Oz' became 'The Wizard of Shushan.'”
“This year we are doing 'An Emoji Purim,'” she said, adding adults and religious school students will be playing the parts.
After the play, Gray-Schaffer said everyone will stay to sample desserts brought to the synagogue.
“We started this last year,” she said. “We have a dessert contest. We chose a king and queen of Purim desserts.”
The light-hearted holiday suits the worshippers and the time of year, she said.
“Jews are known for their humor and after persecution over the years, a persecutor did not succeed in killing all the Jews, so that's a reason to celebrate,” she said.
“And this is kind the end of winter. You have something frivolous to look forward to,” she said.
