The countdown to Purim is on. The fun kicks off with a special edition of ShabbaTot this afternoon, and continues with sound healing meditation on Saturday evening, three hamantaschen baking sessions (including a special one for kids) next Thursday and Friday, and our monthly Kol Nefesh Kabbalat Shabbat service. On Saturday, we have the night of all nights, the world premiere of the Oscar-winning Purim spiel, ESTHER, and the following afternoon, the Purim program culminates in silly fun for everyone at our annual Purim Family Day, with costume parades, arts and crafts, games, music and tasty snacks. Remember to come dressed in pink to the spiel, bring your friends and little ones to everything and make sure to register so we can accommodate everyone.
And, on Friday 22 March, we’re excited to host the first Shabbat dinner in a new series designed to create a space for young Jewish adults in their twenties to connect with each other and their heritage. We will be fostering a relaxed, inclusive environment with a vegetarian potluck dinner. If that’s you, please register here (and bring along a vegetarian dish to share with the group), and if you know someone who fits the bill, please share the link with them. This event is an initiative of Emanuel Synagogue’s new Young Adult Engagement Coordinator, Avishai Conyer. We are delighted to have someone with Avishai’s energy, experience and passion to lead programs for our young people. Learn more about Avishai here. In the coming weeks we will reveal the full scope of dedicated program offerings for this very important group. Stay tuned.
In other news, Israel’s 2024 Eurovision song Hurricane is finally here. Eden Golan will be taking the stage at Malmö with this powerful ballad in May. In a press conference this week, the songwriters said they wrote this year’s entry from a place of grief: “It’s impossible to write about anything else these days, this is what we’re going through right now.”
This Shabbat, as we approach Purim, we pray for an end to the conflict, the return of the hostages and for the opportunity for everyone who has been suffering to be able to experience some of the joy that this festival brings.
Shabbat shalom.