A Message from Our President

Greetings!

What a crazy winter we have had! A little bit of snow, record rains, tornadoes, warm weather…you name it. When March arrives, I begin to look forward to spring and a pattern of warmer days. I also look forward to celebrating Purim, one of my favorite holidays. I have so many fond childhood memories of Purim, dressing up as Queen Esther and parading around the synagogue.

I recently did a little research to get some “fun facts” about Purim. Thanks to Rabbi Liebowitz, I discovered a new website: myjewishlearning.com. Did you know that Esther was a vegetarian? She followed a vegetarian diet consisting largely of legumes so that she would not break the laws of kashrut. For this reason, there is a tradition of eating beans and peas on Purim. Did you know that the Book of Esther is one of just two biblical books that do not include G-d’s name? The other is Song of Songs. I learned that right after the 1991 Gulf War, Israel’s most popular Purim costume was of the Israel Defense Forces spokesman whose face appeared on TV every time a Scud missile alert sounded, and people snacked on “Saddamtaschen” instead of hamantaschen. Check out myjewishlearn- ing.com for more information.

We have our own special traditions and ways to celebrate Purim at Temple B’nai Israel. It begins with fellowship and includes fun, food, and music! The Oy Boys and special guests will perform their original Purim songs. Of course, there will be hamantaschen and other good food. Please plan to join us on Friday, March 6th. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Happy Purim to all!

Sandy