More frequent Megillah readings and other innovative ways to observe the holiday
By: Karen Schwartz
Zahava (Gwenn) Flait and her husband Stuart are more excited than ever before for Purim to arrive. The holiday will be their first time back in person at Chabad of West Boca Raton, Fla., since last Purim, when the emerging coronavirus pandemic began to spread through the world and the Flaits celebrated almost a year of Jewish holidays at home.
As will be the case at Chabad centers around the world, Chabad of West Boca’s socially-distanced, outdoor Purim event will give people the chance to safely participate in the holiday’s four mitzvot: hearing the Megillah, giving to the poor, sending gifts of food to friends and neighbors, and participating in a seudah, a festive meal.
“The fact that it’s Purim and that we’re back in a holiday cycle again with each other for simchas (joyous events) is wonderful. It’s just great stuff,” says Flait.
Purim, which recalls the Jewish people’s salvation in ancient Persia from an evil official, Haman, and his foiled plot to destroy them, is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. Purim 2021 begins Thursday night, February 25 and continues through Friday, February 26 (extending through Sunday in Jerusalem).
Zahava (Gwenn) Flait and her husband, Stuart, are more excited than ever for Purim to arrive. The holiday will be their first time back in person at Chabad of West Boca Raton, Fla., since last Purim, when the coronavirus pandemic began to spread throughout the United States. Since then, the Flaits have celebrated almost a year of Jewish holidays at home.
As will be the case at Chabad centers around the world, Chabad of West Boca’s socially distanced, outdoor Purim event will give people the chance to safely participate in the holiday’s four mitzvot: hearing the Megillah; giving to the poor; sending gifts of food to friends and neighbors; and participating in a seudah, a festive meal.
“The fact that it’s Purim and that we’re back in a holiday cycle again with each other for simchas (joyous events) is wonderful. It’s just great stuff,” says Flait.
Purim, which recalls the Jewish people’s salvation in ancient Persia from an evil official, Haman, and his foiled plot to destroy them, is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar. Purim 2021 begins at sundown on Thursday, Feb. 25 and continues through Friday, Feb. 26 (extending through Sunday in Jerusalem).
Chabad centers around the world are getting extra-creative this year when it comes to welcoming community members for the Megillah readings, meals and holiday festivities. To ensure safety, many Chabad centers are having multiple readings with limited attendance at each reading, as well as more outdoor readings than ever before. They’re working hard to make sure Jews can conveniently and perform the holidays’ mitzvot—and experience its joy—even in such unprecedented times.
For those still isolated at home, in addition to local centers bringing Purim to the homebound, Chabad.org has a special Purim During Covid section that includes How to Celebrate Purim @ Home, how to Give Matanot L’Evyonim Online, Purim Foods to Make (and Enjoy) at Home, and holiday inspiration from the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—on The Rebbe on Purim page.
And a special Purim PDF booklet packed with uplifting inspiration, information and other tidbits to enhance the holiday at home is being widely shared with the intention that people print it and use the information to boost their festivities.
Round-the-Clock Readings in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, Rabbi Yisroel Goldberg, co-director of Chabad of Rechavia with his wife, Shoshana, has retooled his popular Azza Zaza program, known for offering thousands of people the chance to participate in Purim mitzvot at area restaurants.
This year, he’s arranged nearly 100 public Megillah readings in a dozen central locations, in addition to coordinating dozens of rabbinical students and other expert volunteers to hold private readings for individuals unable to leave home.
The round-the-clock Megillah readings will take place in outdoor areas so people can be properly distanced, as mandated by Israel’s strict pandemic-related regulations.
Additionally, Chabad is sending cars out around the city to give out more than 10,000 mishloach manot packages and distributing large sandwiches to provide people a convenient way to have a holiday meal.
“It’s a different twist to Azza Zaza, but we have to adapt to the situation,” says Goldberg.
Despite this year’s pandemic challenges, it’s a “triple Purim,” which means Jerusalem celebrates for three days since Shushan Purim coincides with Shabbat. That spreads elements of the celebration over three days to account for Shabbat restrictions and gives people even more opportunities to share in the holiday fun.
“Even though this is the current situation, not only should we not minimize the happiness, we should increase it triplefold,” says Goldberg. “The Rebbe teaches us to adapt, and to multiply on the good that we have. We’re not happy about the situation, but we’re happy despite the situation.”
Goldberg has spent the year finding ways to transform its programs to keep serving the community even during the pandemic, and Azza Zaza is no exception, remarks Jerusalem resident Hadassah Chen. “As much as it has been an incredible and tough year for all of us, the rabbi managed never to lower expectations or excitement about any of the programs,” she says. “The extreme originality, the enthusiasm; it’s exactly the same.”
‘Glow Party’ in Florida
Shaina Kramer, program director at Chabad of West Boca Raton, Fla., with her husband, Rabbi Moshe Kramer, is hosting an outdoor Purim event on Thursday night. The “glow party” at the Chabad House is a family event with crafts, a Megillah reading and pre-packaged food. They will also host a festive meal and socially distanced Megillah readings on Friday.
“I really believe it’s important that people see that we are there for them,” says Kramer. “That we’re here, and that we never stopped caring for our people and our community, and that we’re always ready to give more and do more for everybody. We hope people see that.”
Nearby, Friendship Circle of Chabad of South Broward in Hallandale, Fla., is celebrating Purim under a tent outdoors, with the theme “Purim in the Circus.”
Chana Reicher, the Friendship Circle’s program coordinator, says she’s looking forward to helping teens and families participating to have a bit of normalcy in a safe environment. “What we want is for them to come out with the Purim spirit,” she says.
Teen volunteers packed mishloach manot for their special friends, which will be delivered to their homes for them to enjoy.
Warming Up in New York
Meanwhile, in Chester, N.Y., Rabbi Pesach Burston, who co-directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Orange County with his wife, Chana, is getting ready for a snow-covered Purim. “We have two realities we’re dealing with—Covid and the cold—and we decided to embrace them both. That’s why we’re doing ‘Purim in the Arctic,’ ” he says.
Burston’s seventh-grade daughter came up with the idea at the dinner table one night and it’s taken off, with Chabad centers in other chilly climates offering people the chance to “bundle up and chill.”
People bundle up for ski trips, the presidential inauguration and other planned events, he notes. “So my philosophy is if [Sen.] Bernie Sanders could be at the inauguration with his mittens on because it was important to him, we can be there for Purim because it’s important to us.”
The Burstons are planning to offer a socially distanced Megillah reading indoors and other elements of the celebration outdoors at a rented hall space, with food including hot soups, sizzling stews, warm kugels, campfire-style marshmallow-roasting and, of course, classic hamantaschen. “Is it easy to be at a party in 20-degree weather? No. But I actually think it could be a lot of fun if we’re ready for it and we embrace it,” he says.
The challenges this year may have changed, but the message of Purim remains the same, he says. “There’s always light—there’s always a way to find light within the Jewish community,” he affirms. “No matter the circumstances, the Jews have found ways to overcome and celebrate, and this year is no different.”
For more information about Purim events near you, visit the Purim Event Directory. For more inspiration and insight about the holiday, visit www.Chabad.org/Purim.
