Chabad Celebrates Purim with Spacey Theme

Kansas City, MO — Children dressed as princesses, aliens and lions danced around the room. They carried bags of goodies and nibbled on cookies and candy.

This was no Halloween party, however. It was a Purim celebration, a Jewish tradition that has been passed down for over 2,000 years. On Saturday, dozens of families gathered at the Chabad House Center of Kansas City, 6201 Indian Creek Drive, Overland Park, to celebrate Purim and fulfill their obligation of listening to the story of Esther.

“It’s about celebrating the miracle of triumphing over evil,” said Shoula Horing, an Overland Park resident. “It’s a fun day — fun and holy.”

Purim commemorates the deliverance from one man’s plot to destroy all the Jews of the Persian Empire 2,000 years ago. The tradition includes fasting before Purim, the recitation of the Book of Esther, sharing gifts of food, charity, a celebratory meal, and masquerading in costumes.

Each year, the Chabad House has a different theme for its Purim celebration, so this year was “Purim in Outer Space.”

Saturday’s festivities began with a reading of the scroll of Esther. During the rule of the Persian Empire, Haman, an advisor to the king, plotted to destroy all of the Jews in the kingdom. His plans were foiled, however, by the king’s young queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, a Jewish leader.

“It applies to us as much today as it did 2,000 years ago,” Rabbi Mendy Wineberg said. “They wanted to destroy the Jewish people because they were different. The Jews turned inward instead of turning outward and converting. In the end, they were saved, and we’re still here today.”

As the rabbi chanted the story in Hebrew, children and their parents sat quietly as they listened to the story or read along in English or Hebrew. Only when Haman’s name was read did the room erupt in noise as the group blew whistles and used noise makers to drown out his name.

After the reading, the crowd gravitated toward platters of soft, jelly-filled cookies. The cookies, called Hamantashens, were named after Haman and matched the shape of his triangular hat.

“This is my favorite part of Purim,” said Leslie Kulick, a Leawood resident.

Hebrew music blared through the speakers as girls and young women danced in a circle under the sparkling blue stars and planets that hung from the ceiling.

On the other side of the room, a group of boys and men followed the same dizzying dance step.

Avery Parkhurst, a sixth-grader at Overland Trail Middle School, and Andrew Eisner, a sixth-grader at The Barstow School, weaved through the crowd. They both wore green T-shirts that read “Take me to your rabbi.” They unabashedly admitted Purim was one of their favorite holidays.

“It’s very fun, and you get to dance,” Eisner said.

Many of the families would return the next day for two more Purim traditions — a festive community meal and giving to charity. The Chabad House operates a kosher food pantry, and it routinely provides basics to needy families. The group planned to hand out additional gifts for the holiday.

“We’ll make sure everyone gets something special because it’s Purim,” volunteer coordinator Nancy Eisner said.

Blumah Wineberg, the director of Chabad, said it’s important to remember the story of Purim.

“There are plenty of Hamans in our time, so it’s not just a story about the past,” Wimeberg said. “We use the story of the holy day to get rid of evil in the present.”