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Jewish Life Newsletter Chaplaincy Services of Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York Jewish Life Newsletter Chaplaincy Services are made possible through a grant from Jewish Federation of NENY in cooperation with the Capital District Board of Rabbis and Jewish Family Services of NENY. March 2020 / Adar 5780 Volume XXIV, Number 3 Celebrate Purim: Tuesday, March10, 2020 (beginning Monday evening) Chaplaincy Services of Jewish Federation of Purim is a joyous and fun holiday “There is a certain people scattered abroad and Northeastern New York filled with merriment. Like many dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces The Golub Center other early spring holidays, it of your realm. Their laws are different from those 184 Washington Avenue Ext includes costumes and silliness. The of every other people’s, and they do not observe Albany NY 12203-5306 celebration of Purim begins with the the king’s laws; therefore, it is not befitting the story in the Book of Esther, also king to tolerate them.” (Esther 3:8) called the Megillah (muh-GILL-ah). The king gave permission to Haman to exterminate The heroes of the story are Esther, a all of the Jews. Haman created a lottery to pick the beautiful young Jewish woman living execution date. The word Purim refers to the “lots” in Persia, and her cousin King Ahasuerus Haman pulled in the lottery to decide the date of Mordecai, who raised her as an the extermination. adopted daughter. Esther was taken to the Mordecai persuaded Esther to speak to the king on harem of King Ahasuerus of Persia, and he behalf of the Jewish people. This was a dangerous chose her to be Queen. However, Mordecai thing for Esther to do because entering the king’s told her to keep their Jewish identities a court uninvited was punishable by death. Esther fasted secret, which she did. for three days to prepare and dressed in her royal The villain of the story is Haman (HAY- finery. Then she went to the king and was warmly men), an arrogant, egotistical advisor to welcomed. the king. Haman hated Mordecai because Upcoming Jewish Holidays 2020-2021 Later at a banquet, she told him of Haman’s plot to kill Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. her people. Haman was hanged on the gallows that HOLIDAY DATE Therefore, Haman plotted to destroy the had been prepared for Mordecai. The Jewish people Jewish people. In a speech that is all too Jewish Life Newsletter Purim Mon. night Mar. 9 – Tues. Mar. 10 were saved. Everyone celebrated the victory. familiar to Jews, Haman told the king, Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York Passover (8 days) Wed. night April 8 – Thurs. April 16 Making Purim Fun for Your Residents Inside This Issue The Golub Center Shavuot (2 days) Thurs. night May 28 – Sat. May 30 184 Washington Avenue Ext Here are some fun ways to paper bags or paper plates and Making Purim Fun Albany NY 12203-5306 celebrate the holiday. bake hamantashen. Buy some Rosh Hashanah (2 days) Fri. night Sept. 18 – Sun. Sept. 20 Purim Music Phone: 518.783.7800, ext. 228 Read the Book of Esther. Read candy, fruit, dried fruit, or nuts Fax: 518.783.1557 the whole book or the abbreviated (use two types of food). Use A Topsy-Turvy Holiday Email: Yom Kippur Sun. night Sept. 27 – Mon. Sept. 28 trinkets for those who can’t [email protected] version in this newsletter. Use Baking Hamantashen have food. Put in packages and Sukkot (7 days) Fri. night Oct. 2 – Fri. Oct. 9 funny voices. Pass out groggers or deliver to every resident. Rabbi Beverly W. Magidson other noisemakers and make Residents, volunteers, or even Resident Survey Coming! Director Shmini Atzeret Fri. night Oct. 9 – Sat. Oct. 10 noise whenever Haman’s name is staff may deliver these tasty Robert R. Kovach read. Not the Whole Megilla Simhat Torah Sat. night Oct. 10 – Sun. Oct. 11 gifts. (the story— President & CEO Bake hamantashen. The recipe is Jewish Federation of NENY Wear a costume to work. A very abbreviated) in this newsletter. Your residents Hanukkah Thurs. night Dec. 10 – Fri. Dec. 18 few Queen Esthers, Mordecais, can share holiday memories as Upcoming Holidays Tu B’Shevat Tues. night Jan. 26 – Wed. Jan. 27 Hamans, or King Ahasueruses they shape the dough. will liven up your facility. If Make “shahlach mahnehs” bags you’re delivering “shahlach When You Have Sad News and give them out. Decorate mahnehs” (cont. pg. 2) Volume XXIV, Number 3 March 2020/Adar 5780 Jewish Life Newsletter Baking Hamantashen Making Purim Fun for Your Residents (cont.) Various reasons are given for eating these triangular pastries. (continued from pg. 1) of Purim included in our newsletter. Some say they are reminiscent of the tri-cornered hat worn by packages, it’s especially fun to do it in costume. Make a grogger. Synagogues use noisemakers to Haman and the other officers of the Persian court. In Hebrew, Hold a mask-making workshop. Use balloons blot out Haman’s name. Using paper plates or tin they are called oznay Haman—Haman’s ears. Tradition holds and papier-mâché, paper plates, and brown cans and dried beans, make and decorate your own that Haman had pointy ears—like Mr. Spock! They are filled with bags. Gather together feathers, sequins, glitter, grogger (or see below for inexpensive groggers). poppy seed, prune, apricot, or other fillings. The actual origin of and glue. Let your residents make Queen hamantashen may be a German pastry “mun taschen,” or poppy Have a party! On Purim we celebrate Jewish survival. Esther, the King, Haman, or Mordecai. seed pockets, which, in a play on words, became So party! It’s traditional to have a festive dinner and “humuntaschen” with the Yiddish pronunciation of hamantashen. Stamp out the name of Haman. When we tell dress in costumes, so use any of the suggested Whatever the origin, eat and enjoy! the story, we make noise to blot out Haman’s activities to make the day special. This recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies. name. Write Haman’s name on the sole of your shoes to “stamp him out” as you read the story. Dough Traditional fillings: When You Have 1 cup sugar Purim Music PLEASE WATCH Apricot or prune jam There is no real Purim music that is Sad News: 1/3 cup oil for our Silly Jingle traditional. Most of what you’ll find on CDs Facilities with monthly programs: Poppy-seed filling in a can Jewish resident You may hear this rhyme: is modern Israeli or American and will not 1/3 cup margarine survey be familiar to your residents. Please notify us when a 3 eggs Heint iz Purim resident passes away! coming to your However, if you’re having a Purim party or 1/2 cup orange juice Non-traditional fillings: • email box soon. Morgen iz Oyse a carnival, all of your residents would We may try to go to a fu- 4 cups flour Other types of jam probably enjoy some lively Klezmer music. neral or shiva (during the week after the funeral, when 3 tsp. baking powder Chocolate chips or spread We need to know Gib mir a pfennig Klezmer (a Yiddish word derived from the the family receives condo- Hebrew for “instruments”) is lively music 1 tsp. salt how many Und varf mir ah-royse! lence callers.) Jewish residents that was played at weddings and other 1 egg beaten for glaze happy occasions. Usually it features a • Also, it is jarring to get the you have, Today is Purim violin, clarinet, and tambourine. news just before a program. so that we can deliver With advanced notice, the 1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Tomorrow it’s gone Go to Hatikvahmusic.com, Amazon, or egg matzah Chaplaincy visitor might So give me a penny Barnes and Noble and look at their 2) Blend sugar, oil, and margarine. for Passover, prepare and conduct a And send me along! Klezmer offerings. There are many good which begins brief memorial service 3) Add eggs and juice. bands (e.g. Klezmatics, Klezmer at sundown on (Said by children with residents. 4) Add dry ingredients and roll into a ball. Conservatory Band, Andy Statman, Maxwell WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8. bringing goody baskets— Street Klezmer Band) that play lively music 5) Refrigerate for one hour. shahlach mahnehs— that everyone will love! 6) Divide dough into four parts. Roll out each piece very thinly to family and friends.) ARE YOU THE NEW (1/8 inch) on a floured board. With the rim of a glass or a ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR? Reminiscing about a Topsy-Turvy Holiday cookie cutter, cut circles into the dough. 7) Place 1/2 to 2/3 teaspoon of filling in the middle of each PLEASE SEND US YOUR Purim plays (called Purim-shpiels), ball. It was also a time when the circle. carnivals, men dressing up as rabbis allowed men to get drunk. NAME, FACILITY, AND 8) To make into triangles: pull together right and left sides of women (and vice-versa) are some Sometimes the reading of the each circle so that they meet in the center, leaving the EMAIL ADDRESS, SO of the memories your residents Megillah (the Book of Esther) may bottom side down. Lift the bottom side up to meet the other THAT WE CAN UPDATE may have of this holiday. have been accompanied by silly two sides, forming a triangle. Seal the sides very lightly; they will easily open in the oven revealing the filling. OUR RECORDS!!! They may have gone to a carnival songs or skits that poked fun at where they tried to knock off the synagogue, the rabbi, teachers, 9) (Optional) Brush dough with beaten egg before baking.
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