By Robert Kalfus
This year’s Purim festivities was the third year after Covid and was free of the previous years’ fears, restraints and precautions. Chabad of Yonkers festivities instead this year featured a theme of “Purim in Mexico” and saw people dressed in Mexican theme-appropriate costumes, a live mariachi band, dancing, singing, and a delicious kosher dinner, which included plentiful three cornered cookies known as hamentaschen, filled with prune, apricot, or other fruits.
More than two thousand years ago, Persia, having defeated the Babylonia empire and now ruling the largest empire at that time, spreading from India to Ethiopia, King Achashverosh’s concern was to now reward the princes, governors, and subordinates of the 127 far-flung provinces and ensure their loyalty. The King threw a 180 day party in his new capitol of Shushan with unlimited drinking, food, and more where he could display his unlimited wealth and splendor to the thousands invited. Yet his viceroy, the wicked Haman, had an irrational resentment and hatred of the Jewish people, and conspired to kill, murder, and annihilate all of the Jewish men, women and children living throughout the Persian Empire’s 127 provinces in one day.
The annual joyous Purim holiday commemorates the Jewish people’s victory over the plot of the wicked Haman, who instead was hung with the permission of the King.
Purim this year started Monday night March 6 after sunset, and continued through Tuesday, March 7th. On both Monday night and Tuesday, people listened attentively to the public reading of the Megillah, a handwritten scroll from which the Book of Esther is read aloud, recounting the entire Purim chronology. People dress in costumes, both disguising and revealing our true selves and intentions.
Chabad of Yonkers Rabbi Mendy Hurwitz welcomed all to the Purim party, as “it is the most joyous day on the Jewish calendar! We celebrate the day with celebration, saying we look forward to Purim with gifts of food, charity, reading the book of Esther, dressing in masquerade and festive celebrations”.
