The Joy of Purim

By Rabbi Mendy Piekarski

Afew years ago I volunteered with friends to read the Megillah and celebrate Purim in the federal prison of North Carolina. It was an emotional experience to see how we brought joy to the lives of the prisoners as we went from the white-collar prison up to the medium-security prison. Although we were not allowed to bring in any food or hamentashen, we were able to sing songs, pray and chat with the prisoners. It was an experience I will never forget.

After reading the Megillah, I asked if anyone had any questions. One person asked if I knew of any stories about how Jews celebrated festivals during the Holocaust despite the Nazis. I felt where his question was coming from. Although we are not under Nazi rule anymore, there can always be instances in life when someone can feel deprived of the joy of Purim. I felt that his question was asking, “Is there really a way to celebrate Purim here in prison? Can I really feel the joy?”

I related the incredible story of Rav Yaakov Schwartz, a rabbi and Torah scholar who was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II. Rav Schwartz felt a deep responsibility to maintain the Jewish tradition and keep the spirit of his fellow prisoners alive.

One of the customs of celebrating

MENDY PIEKATSKI

Families in Topanga gathered together at Chabad of Topanga to celebrate Purim the evening of March 7. They enjoyed a festive meal, heard the Megill ah read, ate hamentashen, and had face-painting for the children. Above, the children take turns hitting a pinata, which opened up to lots of Purim treats!

Purim is to read from a Megillah. A megillah is the story of Purim, how the Jews were saved despite Hamans’ evil decree to eradicate the Jews. It is written with ink on special parchment paper in the Hebrew language. Despite the danger, he decided to write a Megillah scroll by hand, using scraps of paper. But where would he find ink? One day a Nazi Soldier gave him a bottle of ink and instructed him to write