Press Release: Temple Early Childhood Program Celebrates Purim

Temple Emanu-El of Westfield’s Early Childhood Education Program had the students celebrate Purim in many ways, including three costume parades, where the children were dressed in costumes that represented the people involved in the story of Purim, a sing-along of festive songs, and dancing. On Friday, March 17, the school held a Purim Palooza day, where the students and staff wore silly hats and the rabbi led a silly Shabbat.

The holiday of Purim celebrates a story from the Book of Esther, which takes place n Persia, which now is Iran. Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechi foiled the plot of Haman, King Ahashuerus’s Prime Minister, to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. Esther and Mordechai, ultimately save the Jews of the land from destruction.

Jill Cimafonte, Director of Early Childhood Education, said that the children learn about the story of Purim in many ways: by listening and reading about the story, acting out the story, making baskets of food to share with friends, and understanding the meaning of the holiday. According to Cimafonte, “Purim is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. The children are able to grasp the names of the characters and what they represent as well as the items that symbolize the story, and everyone, including me, has fun being silly.”

Temple Emanu-El is located at 756 East Broad Street, Westfield, NJ. To contact the Temple for more information about the Early Childhood Education Program or other departments, contact Carolyn Shane, Executive Director, at 908-232-6770, ext. 114 or cshane@tewnj.org or visit our website at www.tewnj.org.