Purim 2024

Purim Holiday Guide

Be Happy It’s Adar!

Adar, the month in which Purim falls, is considered a lucky and joyful month, and often festivities and merriment are planned for the very first day. Slogans such as, “Be Happy - It’s Adar!” are heard, and the Hebrew folk song, “Misheh Nichnas Adar, Marbim Besimcha,” (When Adar arrives, rejoicing increases), is sung. Adar is a great time to sharpen your comic skills!

Four mitzvot comprise the ritual of Purim day itself. They are:

1. Listening to the reading of Megillat Esther. This usually takes place in synagogue, where both children and adults come dressed in costume and equipped with graggers, noisemakers, with which to drown out the name of Haman when it is mentioned during the reading of the story of Purim. At PJA we hear sections of the Megillah. This gives our students an opportunity to experience the fun of blotting out Haman’s name and hearing the beautiful chanting of the megillah.

2. Mishloach Manot, sending gifts to friends. Mishloach manot are gifts of food that recall the celebrations of the Jews of ancient Shushan, Persia, where the events of Purim took place. At least two kinds of ready to eat foods, upon which two different blessings are made, are sent to at least one friend. Most families send to more than one friend. Usual mishloach manot foods consist of hamantashen, the three cornered filled pastry reminiscent of Haman’s hat (or ears, if you use the Hebrew term Oznai Haman - Haman’s ears), candy, dried fruits, nuts, juice, or wine. The gift is usually sent in a decorated container. At PJA our students exchange Mishloach Manot with their classmates and Mishpachot

About Purim

Purim is held on the 14th day of Adar, (this year coinciding with the eve of Saturday, March 23, through Sunday, March 24, 2024), and celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from destruction by a Persian tyrant during the period of the Babylonian exile in the fifth century B.C.E. The story is found in the book of Esther, and tells how King Ahashverosh’s evil vizier, Haman, hatches a plot to kill the Jews because Mordechai refused to bow down to him. To determine the day of the Jews’ destruction, Haman casts lots (Purim). But the intervention of the brave Queen Esther saves the day for the Jews! The wicked Haman is executed, and Mordechai becomes the new prime minister. The Jews are able to defend themselves against their enemies and rejoice. It is interesting to note that God’s name is never explicitly mentioned in the Megillah of Esther. The observance of Purim commemorates these events.

3. Matanot Le’evyonim, gifts to the needy, also remind us of the Purim celebrations of the Jews of Shushan. At least a small amount of money is donated to at least two individuals or two charitable funds. In all the fun and excitement of Purim, taking a few moments to emphasize the practice of matanot le’evyonim reminds all of us that sharing our joy with others is a Jewish value that helps us to be better human beings. We are proud to have the tradition of inviting a community Rabbi to speak with our students at our Purim Assembly about Matanot L’evyonim and to collect the tzedakah that they have brought in to donate to those in need. In addition we have a tradition of donating to the Community Warehouse.

4. The Purim Se’udah, or festive meal, is the fourth mitzvah of Purim, and is prescribed in the Book of Esther. The meal is usually held late in the afternoon of Purim day. No special kiddush is recited, but a special prayer, Al HaNissim, thanking God for the Purim miracles, is added to the Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals, as well as to the daily synagogue services. Another Purim tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is the Purim “Shpiel.” The Purim Shpiel, or play, is traditionally presented as a parody or farcical version of the Purim story. Our Purim Shpiel is produced and acted by our kitah hey, 5th graders. We can’t wait to see how they will turn this story upside down!

Hearing the Megillah, the scroll containing the Book of Esther, is central to Purim observance. Many synagogues have special parties, plays, or music following the evening reading. Both children and adults attend in costume. Children are usually so engaged by the costumes, graggers, and festive atmosphere that they enjoy themselves tremendously.

Graggers, noisemakers, are used to obliterate the name of Haman each time it is mentioned during the reading. In Jewish tradition, blotting out a name is the ultimate destruction.

Traditional Hamentashen Recipe

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup oil

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 t. vanilla

• ½ t. almond extract

• 1 t. baking powder

• 3 cups flour

• filling of choice- Pie filling, jam, peanut butter or chocolate chips. In a large mixer, beat together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Add baking powder and flour to get workable dough. If dough is too wet, add more flour. Divide dough into quarters. Roll to ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3-inch rounds using a glass.

In the center of each circle, place 1 teaspoon filling. Bring edges together to form a triangle, pinching seams together from top down to corners, leaving a small opening in the center. Repeat with remaining dough, working with a quarter of the dough at a time.

Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash of 1 egg mixed with 1 T. water. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until golden. Remove and cool on rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

(Gluten-free recipe on the back.)

Celebration Suggestions for Family

This is certainly a high point for children, the one time during the year they are actually encouraged to make as much noise as possible in shul! Most synagogues give out small metal noisemakers, but making your own gragger, or ra’ashan in Hebrew, can be lots of fun, too. A few suggestions are:

• Drop a marble or some beans inside a clean, empty soda bottle. Screw the top back on and decorate the outside with stickers, etc.

• Fill an empty metal band-aid box with anything noisy - nuts and bolts work great. Decorate the box.

• Fold a sturdy paper plate in half. Decorate the outside, add a few beans to the inside, and staple it shut.

• Take the toddler musical instruments out of storage - drums, cymbals, tambourines or a plastic recorder have use for this special night.

• Children love nothing more than being handed a pot and a wooden spoon to bang it with!

• Mishloach Manot containers may be made simply from sturdy paper plates. Decorate the rims with stickers and line with colored tissue paper. Place the foods on the plate, and then cover with clear or colored plastic wrap. Inexpensive woven baskets can be purchased at the crafts store. Add a bow and tissue paper, and insert your goodies.

The festival of Purim is the happiest day in the Jewish calendar. One of the traditions of Purim is dressing up in fancy dress and wearing masks. What is the reason for this custom and how does it connect to the celebration of the day? Our sages tell us that “Happiness breaks boundaries.” When people are truly happy they loosen up and do things that are beyond the norm. But there are two types of happiness. The first is egocentric and hedonistic, seeking pleasure and a good feeling. The second form of happiness is one with purpose and meaning. The goal of this joy is not external pleasure but rather the celebration of meaningful milestones, spiritual growth or major accomplishments. This happiness is a true and lasting one.

The boundaries that are broken with real joy are the barriers and fences that separate us from each other. The happiness allows us to develop a different perspective on ourselves and other people. We stop judging others by their external behavior and things they say and do, and we begin to appreciate their inner soul. We begin to understand that the actions, feelings and personality traits that separate us from others are only external masks that conceal the true human being. Beneath the mask, there is a soul that makes them a special human being. The energy of the happiness allows us to break through the mask and see what is beneath.

On Purim we dress up, reminding ourselves and others that our outward appearance and behavior is always a mask. We realize that all those things that separate us from each other have nothing to do with our real identity. The celebration of Purim gives us the ability to look behind the mask and discover the real person.

Additional Resources

For Adults

The Purim Anthology by Philip Goodman

The Whole Megillah by Shoshana Silberman and Katherine Janus Kahn

For Children

Make Your Own Megillah by Judyth Saypol Groner

Esther’s Story by Diane Wolkstein

The Shushan Chronicles:

The Story of Purim by Yaffa L. Gottlieb

Sammy Spider’s First Purim by Sylvia A. Rouss

Cakes and Miracles: A Purim Tale by Barbara Diamond Goldin

The Complete Story of Purim by Nissan Mindel

Gluten-Free Raspberry Hamentashen

Adapted from Elana’s Pantry

Ingredients

• 2 cups blanched almond flour

• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon water

• Some raspberry jam

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour and salt.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and water.

3. Mix wet ingredients into dry.

4. Chill dough in refrigerator 1 hour.

5. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper ¼ – ½ inch thick.

6. Cut dough into circles (size of your choosing.)

7. Make a slight indentation with your forefinger in the center of each circle.

8. Drop ½ teaspoon of jam into the center of each circle.

9. Fold the dough in to create 3 sides; pinch each of the 3 corners to form a triangle shaped cookie.

10. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes until cookies are golden brown around the edges.

Yield will be dependent on the size of your cookies and thickness of your dough. You can use as much jam as you want to suit your taste buds. To get the corners of the dough to stay together, don’t be afraid to pinch the dough very firmly.

Rabbi Olitzky’s Chocolate Cream Cheese

Hamantaschen From Tori Avey

Ingredients

5 cups flour

1 lb. vegetable shortening, room temperature

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

To Make Dough

6

Filling Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

6 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together until soft dough forms. The easiest way to do this is with a stand mixer. Knead the dough into a ball, place into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours to overnight.

To Make Filling

Cut the cream cheese into small chunks. Mix together all filing ingredients until well combined.

To Make Cookies

Remove dough from refrigerator. If the dough has turned hard, allow to soften for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces. Pound each piece out, one at a time, then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a floured surface. The dough should be rolled quite thin. Keep your rolling pin lightly coated in flour to prevent dough from sticking. Cut the dough into 3-4 inch circles. Place circles onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Place a tsp of filling into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling. Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.

Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.

Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a “pinwheel” effect. Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape.

Repeat this process for the remaining circles. When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, bake them on the ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes till cookies turn light golden brown. Remove the cookies from the pan and cool them on a wire rack. Cool the cookie sheet completely before making more cookies.