Purim’s pure fun in Brooklyn
On Saturday, February 23, Bay Ridge Jewish Center’s community had a lot to be happy about. They gathered together to celebrate Purim, a holiday which commemorates the defeat of the Biblical figure Haman by Mordecai and Esther, as Haman sought to exterminate the Jews of Persia.
Joel Charles, who helped organize the event, explained that Purim is all about the saving of the Jews and that it’s extremely joyous. Esther is pictured as a pageant queen, he said. You’ll see lots of little girls dressed as her, but you’ll see other costumes, too. We like to dress up for Purim; it’s like a Jewish Halloween! It’s great for our kids.
Among the partygoers there were children dressed as Harry Potter, doctors, kittens and much more. Even the adults joined in, dressing as Dr. Seuss characters, Elvis, police officers and various animals, as well as wearing pink wigs and striped tights.