
- Fun at Home
- Holidays
Purim will be here soon, on March 1. Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman in Persia circa 357 B.C.E. The story is recorded in The Biblical Scroll of Esther/Megillat Esther. Celebrating Purim can be one of the most joyous holidays to celebrate with your kids. Whether you dress up in costume, read the Megillat Esther, exchange mishloah manot (gifts of food and drink), or eat the se’udat Purim (celebratory meal), it is a fun and festive day.
At the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School one of our core values is Mitzvah Gorrerret Mitzvah. “A mitzvah leads to another mitzvah and a wrongdoing leads to another wrongdoing.” (Mishnah Avot 4:2) Purim is an opportunity to gather your family and perform a mitzvah (commandment) for members of your community. The tradition of making a mishloah manot, a Purim gift basket, for your family, friends, or those in need is a wonderful way to serve. Whether you make a traditional basket of Hamantashchen (triangular cookies with filling), nuts and dried fruit, or a fun themed gift basket, teaching your child to care for others is what it’s about.
We found a fun Hamantaschen recipe and a few creative ideas for mishloah manot to create with your kids.
Another fun way to celebrate the day is to dress in costume. One of the key themes of the story of Purim is the reversal of fates (Esther, Haman, the Jews, etc.). This theme, called ונהפכו/v'nahafoh hu in Hebrew, is why we dress in costume on Purim, so we can spend one day a year pretending to be something we are not. To add to your family's celebration of Purim, take time while having dinner or making your mishloah manot to talk about the following questions. You may be surprised at what your kids have to say.
No matter which traditions you and your family partake in, Hag Sameah!
The Heilicher Alumni Board, made up of current high schoolers, met in February to begin formulating recommendations to strengthen the school and its programs. Read about the first meeting of the 2019 year.
Heilicher parent Tamar Green reflects on her experience at the school's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day assemblies featuring presentations by Pastor Lawrence T. Richardson.
Morgan Stair's seventh graders read and wrote a variety of poems and created websites to display them. Explore some of their creative works here.
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