At this time of year, it can often seem as though the days have all blended together; we’ve well passed the festivities of Christmas and New Years but spring and summer still feel out of reach. Luckily for the Jewish community, this ‘in-between’ time is broken up by one of the most exciting, but still lesser-known, festivals- Purim. Although this year’s festivities on Friday were very different to those before, local and national communities alike found a way to bring joy to everyone at home.
The festival of Purim commemorates the victory of the Jews against forces determined to destroy us in the ancient Persian Empire. Extravagant costumes, food and parties have made this festival one of the biggest celebrations in the Jewish calendar. However, the unfortunate timing of last year’s Purim on the 9th and 10th of March means that it may have contributed to an increase in coronavirus cases and as a result, it was all the more important that this year’s activities were as safe as possible.
Many events moved online this year, including the reading of the Megillah, which tells the story behind the festival. Additionally, pared-down services in person were able to take place in some synagogues but the two-metre rule and need for face coverings meant that this year looked very different to those in the past. However, any aspect of normality is definitely appreciated nowadays.
Another cornerstone of the festival of Purim is undoubtedly the dressing up and large meal with family and friends, all done in an attempt to celebrate this day. These exuberant festivities are practically synonymous with Purim, making it even more unusual when we had to scale back this year. However, video calls and modern technology helped to keep our local community together.
One demonstration of this was from my synagogue’s youth group Bnei Akiva, who hosted an online bake-off for the younger children in our community. As one of the leaders in this activity, I baked the traditional hamantaschen biscuits that are associated with Purim. Sara Peacock, one of the heads of our Bnei Akiva group, explained her reasoning behind the event, ‘despite lockdown and covid we really wanted to make sure that Purim was celebrated and enjoyed.’
Although this year’s Purim wasn’t necessarily the most exciting, our ability as a group to make the most of this situation is, I think, testament to the strong sense of community that has been instilled in all of us as a result of lockdown. We can all look forwards to next year when we can hopefully celebrate together with friends and family.
Eve Nicholls
