PURIM & PASSOVER
Gather
round
Chapel Hill families mark the spring Jewish holidays with traditions and togetherness By Alliso n D arcy P ho to by Jame s Ste fiu k
S
pring holidays are a time of food and festivity for Jewish families in Chapel Hill. Just ask Mary Ann Freedman and Darryl Freedman, who are well-known at Chapel Hill’s Kehillah Synagogue for writing the yearly Purim spiel, a celebratory dramatization of the Book of Esther. At Kehillah, Mary Ann explains, their spiels include “funny skits and songs … about both the holiday of Purim and about things that were happening in the synagogue that we thought we could spoof.” This is just one of the playful ways Kehillah congregants mark the holiday. “The rabbi dresses up in a very funny costume,” says past synagogue president Linda Frankel about the annual costume contest. “She’s always very creative.” Miriam Ornstein and her husband, David Luks, remember winning one year with their two daughters, Adina Ornstein-Luks and Sivan Ornstein-Luks, each dressed as one of the four seasons. Miriam also recounts another holiday when she wore a
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chapelhillmagazine.com
March/April 2022