Plenty of Ways to Party this Purim
Purim, which literally means “lots,” is a holiday that commemorates the victory of the Jews over the tyranny of King Ahashverosh in the province of Shushan in ancient Persia. King Ahashverosh, influenced by his royal vizier, Haman, was plotting to murder all of the Jewish people in the land and picked “lots” to determine which day it would happen. However, Ahashverosh’s wife, Queen Esther, heard of the plot from her cousin Mordechai, who worked in the palace. She declared her Jewish identity to the King and pleaded with him to save the Jews. So, in the end, the punishment went to Haman rather than the Jewish people.
Purim falls on a full moon, the 14th of Adar, which translates to sundown on March 15 this year, so get your groggers ready:
COMMUNITY EVENTS
March 6-10: East Bay Jewish Music Festival: Di Megileh of Itzik Manger
March 8: Purim Ball: A Royal Affair
March 13: Gender Schmear: Keshet's sexy, saucy, joyous, juicy, schmoozy, Jewsy LGBTQ Purim Party
March 14: Purim Palooza at Congregation Emanu-El
March 15: Chabad SF and Moishe House Present: Purim Palooza
March 15: Purimtown with The Kitchen
March 15: Purim Like It's 5774 at Urban Adamah
March 16: Purim Carnival at Netivot Shalom in Berkeley
March 16: Purim Unmasked: An Off-Street Festival with Be'chol Lashon
NEXT LEVEL PURIM SNACKS
The most traditional culinary treat on Purim is the hamantaschen. Named for the story's villain, Haman, the filled cookie is made in the shape of a triangle just like his infamous hat. Courtesy of the folks over at BuzzFeed, check out these 32 crazy hamantaschen recipes. Caramelized onion and goat cheese?! Yes.
Why stop at cookies, though? You can theme your entire meal around the three-cornered hat with this sushi hamantaschen.
Pinterest also provides a veritable treasure trove of ideas for mishloach manot, gifts of food and drink traditionally given to friends and family on Purim.
PURIM ACTIVITIES & CRAFTS
G-dcast's Shticker App: Take a photo with your camera or grab one from your gallery then glam it up by adding fun images like silly masks, colorful kippot, Jewish foods, Judaica, and more.
Camp Purim-palooza: A Purim activity book from the Foundation for Jewish Camp
Purim Finger Puppets: Tell the story of Purim...with your hands!
Make your own Masquerade Mask: A must for any Purim celebration.
