Purim Celebration at Temple Ahavat Achim

“Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther (Megillat Esther).” – Wikipedia

Here on GMG, I saw an invitation to Temple Ahavat Achim’s Purim celebration, and decided to attend! I’ve already been to their Hanukkah celebration and two of the Cafe Shalom events, and it’s always been interesting and enjoyable. This was no different!

If you want to make sense of these photos, I recommend you read about Purim on Wikipedia or some other source. In brief, they read and partially reenact the book of Esther (using noisemakers to blot out the name of Haman), accompanied by alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) beverages, traditional pastries called hamanashen, and the wearing of costumes.  It’s a fun mixture of ritual and lighthearted fun. Cape Ann Brewery contributed some delicious pomegranate beer!  Here are some shots I took.

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- Fr. Matthew Green