Costumes, storytelling and kids will be aplenty at Hillel’s Family Purim Celebration this Friday.
Purim is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the time when Jewish people who lived in Persia were saved from extermination, which is told in the Book of Esther, according to hillel.org. At the celebration, the story of Purim will be told and a celebratory meal will be offered afterward.
Lise Byars George, a community member of Hillel since Summer 2010 who lives in The Plains, said she wants to take her daughter, Soledad, to Purim to learn more about Judaism. This year will also be the first Purim that Soledad will be able to participate in because of her age.
“Being Jewish, it is very important for our daughter to be aware of and comfortable with the prayers, music, language and community that are found in a congregation,” Byars George said.
Attending services and events at Hillel is a priority in their household because Judaism is as much about a cultural identity as it is about faith and beliefs, Byars George said.
“(Hillel) holds a special place in our lives as this is the first congregation we attended after getting married, shared the joy of our pregnancy and then had Soledad’s baby naming,” Byars George said. “Hillel made Athens home for us.”
Sara Weinstein, another Hillel community member from Murray City, said she makes an effort to attend Hillel events at least once a month. Weinstein said Purim is somewhat like Halloween because you dress up in costumes and hear the story of Purim, which centers on an evil man named Haman who wanted to kill all of the Jewish people. This will be Weinstein’s first Purim event.
“I want my boys to learn about being Jewish from someone other than just me,” Weinstein said. “I want them to experience the services and interact with other Jewish kids and adults.“
Purim offers an educational aspect for kids to learn the prayers, why they welcome in Shabbat and also why they celebrate other holidays, Weinstein said.
“I hope they are gaining a sense of community, a sense of their Jewishness and love from our community,” Weinstein said.
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