Queen for a Day or at least a Night

I had been meaning to write about this year’s Purim spiel at Temple Micah, but got a little distracted by the neighborhood fire and other things this week. However, it was too good not to give a short report.

Before the “spiel”, the staff chanted the story of Esther, reading the whole Megillah, or most of it.



Every year casts Shushan, the home of King Ahaseurus, in a different light. This year it was Motown and the players all dressed accordingly. The Motown songs we all know and love had been slightly altered, resulting in lyrics like “Set me free, why don’t you, King” and “Stop in the name of God.” The star of the show, at least in my mind, was an autistic young adult who played Haman. He is almost impossible to engage in a meaningful conversation, and yet he can sing and dance like a pro. In the end, as always, the King listens to his new Queen Esther (a Jew) who is advised by her cousin Mordechai, the Jews are saved, and the treacherous Haman gets the ax.



Purim is a time for dressing in costume. At least a third of the young girls came as Queen Esther. There were also Karate Kids, Dalmations, super-girls, and many other clever disguises.





After all the theatricals, everyone feasted on hamantaschen, little fruit-filled pastries that look like Haman’s hat and are always served at Purim.