The plans for Purim are just about completed. The gift baskets for the adults and the kids are completed and waiting for the day of the celebration, which will be held on the 5th of March in stead of on the 9th or 10th. The games for the kids are just about completed and there will be a total of twelve different stations. Four stations will be for costumes, face painting, plaster of paris mask making and a paper art station.

There will be four game stations; shooting the sitting duck, knocking over cans with a tennis ball, bean bag toss and a wheel of fortune. The food stations include
Hot dogs on a stick, popcorn, drinks, and cotton candy. All this to remind the kids that come that they have a G-D that even though His name was not mentioned in the book of Ester, He is still present, still directing the foot steps of his children, still protecting them and is eternally faithful to His word.

The kids will have their celebration from 1:00 until 5:00 PM. We will have two hours to clean up and set things up for the adults that are on our “wounded list”. 7:30 until 9:00 PM will be a time of Bingo, karaoke, refreshments and a time to get together in a safe environment and enjoy the evening.

The biblical reference for this celebration is found in the book of Ester 9:20…it reads… “And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them.”

We are hoping and praying for good weather and for calm with no kassams.  All the activities will be held indoors as the Army still prohibits us from taking this celebration outside for obvious safety reasons. The Chabad hall we rented is a safe building with its walls and roof being forty centimeters (sixteen inches) thick concrete. We will post pictures of the celebration in next weeks update.