Costumes, drinks and shouts will abound in Hillel at Ohio University, as the Jewish community observes the festive Purim celebration.
Purim, which begins Saturday evening but will be celebrated Friday, commemorates Queen Esther’s help in saving Persia’s Jewish population from a plot to eradicate them.
Esther was a Jewish girl who became the Queen of Persia but had to keep her Jewish background a secret. Haman, the king’s prime minister, made a plan to kill all of the Jews in the empire. Esther eventually revealed her identity and Haman’s plan to the King, who condemned Haman to death.
The reading of the Megillah, the Book of Esther, is one of the most important parts of the holiday and tells the story behind the celebration, said Cydney Goldberg, peer network intern for Hillel at OU and a senior studying early childhood education.
The reading is an interactive experience, said Lauren Goldberg, engagement professor for Hillel at OU.
“People get quite feisty, dressing in costumes and shouting and generally acting in ways that are not usually permitted,” she said. “Purim is one of the more festive holidays, and it’s not as holy as other holidays, but definitely a ‘crowd favorite.’ ”
One common Purim tradition is baking hamantashen — a triangular, filled pastry, Cydney said.
“The shape of the cookie stands for Haman’s hat because he wore a three-cornered hat,” Cydney said. “We eat the cookies as a way to acknowledge his defeat.”
Jemma Marens, a freshman studying social work, said she is excited to eat the pastries and see what people are dressed up as, because many people wear costumes to celebrate Purim.
Some other methods of celebrating are exchanging food and drink gifts, doing charitable acts, and getting a little tipsy, Lauren added.
“All should come on Friday because we are doing all of those things,” she said. “It’s a fun way to be a part of the Jewish community here in Athens, and it connects us to the rest of the Jewish world, as all over there will be great celebrations.”
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