On February 28 the Jewish world celebrated the most joyful holiday - Purim, the holiday of salvation of the Jewish people. While Hanukah is associated with candles and donuts, Purim is associated with abundance of wine, triangular pies, carnivals, and loud rattles. During Purim we should read out Ester roll, send each other Mishloah manot, help the needy, and arrange a feast with Purimshpil.

On February 28 the Jewish community gathered in Mullin Rouge cafe. We celebrated the holiday together with the synagogue. Just recently, a special issue of Hesed Bulletin was issued. It featured traditions and customs of the holiday, Purim songs and poems, recipes of home-made gomentahsen.

Before the holiday we conducted a quiz to check the knowledge of history and traditions of the holiday. Hana Meerovna Lobchenko won the competition.

Our favorite singing group "Teibelah" consisting of Galina Nikolayevna Zherebetskaya, Renata Zherebetskaya, Alla Mikhailovna Poddubnaya, Lyudmila Iosifovna Tsymbal, started theholiday with a music program.

This year we watched two Purimshpuils. Children from the children’s Day Center showed a classic Purimshpil, while young people wrote the script themselves and presented a modern Purimshpil. Even now there are Amans, Ahashveroshes, Esters and Mordehais who live among us. Everybody liked the performances a lot.

Everybody who came at the party received a mask, rattle, and a cap made by children in the Day Center.

One of the main commandments is to listen to somebody reading aloud Ester’s roll. For our community "Megilat Ester" was read by the Chief Rabbi Shmuel Karnaukh. Every time Aman’s name was mentioned people made incredible noise to drown his name.

The holiday ended with a kosher meal. There were many toasts to peace and kindness. Altogether we had a lot of fun and told each other "Lehaim"!

Tatyana Slivinskaya