HAPPY PURIM
5783 / 2023

Mon, Mar 6 – Tue, Mar 7

Message

A message from Rabbi Yael Rapport, director of The Gottesman Center for Jewish Living and The Selma and Lawrence Ruben Center for 20s + 30s.

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Message

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Message

Dear JCC Community,

Rabbi Yael Rapport The approaching Purim holiday offers a deeper message than just reenacting part of our collective memory. Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR in Los Angeles goes so far as to say that Purim is the exact reflection, the mirror-image, of another Jewish holiday—Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur? And Purim? Probably the last thing you would ever expect me to say! Yom Kippur is a day of reckoning. How could we compare this solemn and even somber occasion to the most joyful and, dare we say, hedonistic day on the Jewish calendar? Yet, the Talmud reveals a play on words that at first glance could not be more contradictory. Yom Kippurim, the proper biblical title of the holiday, should actually be read as "yom," a day, "k'Purim," like Purim!

Despite the fact that Yom Kippur and Purim appear to be total opposites, a common theme emerges. At their core, both are holidays when everything and anything can be turned on its head. On Yom Kippur we realize that someone who has been healthy could become sick, someone who is wealthy could become poor. Purim teaches us that one day you could be an orphan from an oppressed minority, and the next you could become the Queen of Persia! These holidays offer us two different strategies for dealing with the reality of cosmic unpredictability. Yom Kippur is a day to abstain, to withdraw and contemplate. Purim is the day to indulge, to celebrate, to throw a party. Not every day can be Yom Kippur, and not every day can be Purim, but the beauty of the Jewish calendar is that there is one day for each.

This year, let's share Purim in a way that still celebrates the child-like glee that suffuses every member of our community, no matter how old they may be, but also recognizes the human complexity of every individual. In a way that offers thanks and gratitude for the miracles of existence, but also values how our fortunes can shift in an instant. As we celebrate, may our joy and laughter echo in the walls of the JCC, and our gratitude and love be carried out with us into the rest of our worlds.

Chag Purim Sameach!


Rabbi Yael Rapport
Director, The Gottesman Center for Jewish Living
and The Selma and Lawrence Ruben Center for 20s + 30s

Programs

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Programs

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Programs

All programs are in person unless otherwise noted.

Shabbat in the Town Square: Purim Edition
Thu, Mar 2, 2–4 pm, Free
Located in the JCC lobby.

20s + 30s Hamantaschen Bake
Thu, Mar 2, 7–9:30 pm, $18

Center for Special Needs Purim Flash Sale
Fri, Mar 3, 10 am–2 pm
Located in the JCC lobby.

Infants + Young Children Purim Celebration
Fri, Mar 3, 11 am–noon, $10/$12

20s + 30s | Shmaltz Brewing Co's Purim Prom
Sat, Mar 4, 8:30 pm, $36
Use code VASHTI for $10 off!

Vashti Ball: A Queer Purim Experience
Mon, Mar 6, 6:30 pm reading/8 pm party, $36

JCC Purim Lobby Celebration
Tue, Mar 7, 1–3 pm, Free

Film | iMordecai
Tue, Mar 7, 7 pm, $16

Treats + Resources

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Treats + Resources

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Treats + Resources

Check out our 2021 Purim Spiel!

Looking to learn the basics of Purim? Here's a five-minute primer.

Let's talk about ways to make Purim a feminist holiday. Here is Vashti and Esther: A Feminist Perspective. How can we use the holiday of Purim to share women’s stories?

Is food the highlight of Purim for you? If you think hamantaschen are boring, try these recipes! Jazz them up with sweet flavors like gingerbread, cheesecake, or baklava, or savory ones like French onion soup, basil-goat cheese, and empanada. Check out these Purim sweets and stories from the Jewish Food Society.

Looking for something to listen to? Here is some Purim music from the Milken Archive and a Purim podcast from Pardes. Purim song parodies abound! Listen to them here and here, here and here.

Finally, here are some fun ways to learn more and celebrate Purim. How about the megillah (Book of Esther) in Hebrew, English, and emojis? We got you! Also, check out these easy costumes for kids, and how to DIY a grogger.

Purim Resources from 18Doors:

  • Purim Booklet: an instructional guide for celebrating Purim, which can also be printed at home!
  • Purim Cheat Sheet: a shareable infographic breaking down all things Purim

PJ Library's Purim Hub

Witness the uplifting story of celebrating Purim at Rikers Island.

Create Your Own Camp Purim Diorama!

Give

One of the central mitzvot of Purim is matanot l'evyonim (gifts to the needy), so that our celebration and joy can be shared by all!

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Give

One of the central mitzvot of Purim is matanot l'evyonim (gifts to the needy), so that our celebration and joy can be shared by all. When you give to the JCC through our Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility, funds will be directed to help our neighbors and community members meet their basic needs. It is tradition to give enough to cover the approximate cost of two meals ($18) for a needy person. Thank you!

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