Events and Activities Ideas:
Purim - February 26 2002
Purim is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the miraculous salvation of the Jews recorded in the Book of Esther during the period of the Babylonian exile. As the Book of Esther tells us, King Achashveirosh had an advisor, Haman, who plotted to kill the Jews. His plans were foiled by the efforts of the righteous Mordechai and Esther.
Background: Purim
Purim is a fun-filled holiday and people of all ages get dressed up and eat traditional foods - doughy triangles filled with prunes and poppy seeds, or chocolate. The main event is the reading of the Book of Esther, Megillat Esther, or, as it is now commonly referred to, the Megillah.
When King Achashveirosh throws a huge six-month party and the queen refuses to follow orders, she is replaced by a new queen - Esther the Jewess. Esther's uncle Mordechai, the leader of the Jews, uncovers a plot to assassinate the king. This puts Mordechai in a favorable position with the king. All this comes in handy when Haman obtains a decree to have all the Jews destroyed.
In the end, through a complex twist of events, Esther gets the decree reversed, Haman is hung on the gallows, and Mordechai becomes prime minister.
The name Megillat Esther actually means "revealing the hidden." Unlike every other book in the Bible, Megillat Esther never mentions God's name. The hidden hand of God is revealed through the maze of events. In Judaism there are no coincidences.
According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons, Megillat Esther teaches us that life challenges work out for the best, because what appears as obstacles are really opportunities to develop ourselves for the better.
On Purim, we retell the story by reading the Scroll of Esther, eating a festive holiday meal, sending food to friends and giving gifts to the poor. We are also obliged to imbibe alcohol on this day and drink until the point that we don't know good from bad.
Event Ideas:
1) Have a Bash - Need an excuse for another social event? Purim is all about partying and socializing. From intimate get-togethers to campus wide parties, there are a ton of possibilities. If you are looking for an Israeli focus, try incorporating Israeli dance and music into the event.Depending on your program, a Purim celebration is also an excellent opportunity to invite the co-sponsors of all your other programs to celebrate with you. It's a nice social way to say thank you. Make sure to have a short handout available explaining the story of Purim.
2) Israeli Wine Tasting - If you are looking for a more upscale program for your upperclassmen and graduate students, why not have an Israeli wine tasting event. Vineyards in Israel produce many wonderful wines. And this event is an excellent social program that also promotes Israeli businesses.
You can see it… a small intimate, candlelit wine and cheese event would be a nice way to draw graduate students to an event. If there is a young Jewish professionals group within your community, invite them. Also don't forget local alumni.
This is a nice upscale program, so pay careful attention to the ambiance of the event. To keep everyone's interest, plan on having 4 to 6 different kinds of wines available for the tasting. You may be able to get a local wine distributor or employee of a gourmet shop that sells wine to come and explain the differences in the wines you taste.
3) Purim Community Service - One of the four mitzvoth of Purim is to give
gifts to the poor - Matanot La-evyonim. Plan an event to benefit the poor in
your community. Every little bit makes a difference in making your community a
better place to live. Have a food drive, adopt a family, work at a soup kitchen,
teach computers to at-risk children. There are a plethora of programs to choose
from, and do it all in the name of Purim!
Resources:
Chabad
This article also belongs to the following subjects:
Judaism
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Holidays with a Twist
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Purim
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