Chabad of the South Hills celebrates Purim
A rabbi wearing a fox costume as he read from a scroll was all part of celebrating the most festive of Jewish holidays.
For Purim, on the 14th of Adar – that’s March 1 on the Gregorian calendar – revelers gathered at the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh in Scott Township, many of them dressed up for the occasion, which marks an especially significant event in Jewish history.
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“One of the unique aspects about Purim is the fact that the ruler of that time, Achashverosh, was the ruler of the entire civilized world, certainly wherever Jews were,” Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum of the event-hosting Chabad of the South Hills in Mt. Lebanon explained.
According to the Biblical Book of Esther, Achashverosh was a king of ancient Persia whose vizier Haman tried to instigate genocide.
“There’s a concept in Judaism that says it’s a blessing that we’ve been spread throughout the nations of the world, because then if we’re threatened in one spot, at least we can survive,” Rabbi Rosenblum said. “And not only that, the people of the other areas can come to our aid in all different kinds of ways.
“Here, the entire Jewish people were threatened under one leader,” he continued. “So it was a real threat of extinction. That’s why when the Jewish people were saved, it was such a major deal, even more so than many other times throughout history that the people were threatened.”
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And so the celebrations feature plenty of food, drink and entertainment surrounding the key component: the reading of the Megillah, which tells the story of how Esther and her cousin Mordechai foils Hamam’s plot. “Megillah” is derived from the Hebrew word for “scroll,” and so one traditionally is used for readings.
Other parts of the Purim celebration come from distinctive aspects of the Book of Esther.
“God’s name is not mentioned one time in the whole scripture, nor is there really a miracle, as in most other Biblical stories. There’s no splitting of the Red Sea. There’s no manna from heaven coming down,” Rabbi Rosenblum explained. “There is God organizing events in such a way that creates salvation for the people. And in that sense, Purim is a very relatable holiday.”
Wearing costumes, he said, also is related to the story:
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“God kind of concealed himself in the miracle. A costume conceals us and puts a mask on us, but really, we’re behind the mask, in a similar way to how God was behind the mask.”
Each year, Chabad of the South Hills chooses a theme for the celebration, with “Purim in the Jungle” for 2018. Special features included a drum circle conducted by university-level percussion instructor Yamoussa Camara and a visit from Kenny Sprouse, better known as “That Guy With the Birds!”
Chabad of South Hills is a full-service organization responding to both the material and spiritual needs of the local Jewish community. For more information, visit www.chabadsh.com.
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