➤ PURIM AT CBST, from p.24
founding, he explained, it was a
small synagogue of mostly men.
Now, as Mae West and one of the
few interpreting a woman that evening,
he was “a remnant of when
we were all young men, very few
women, and no children.” He has
been doing Mae West for 15 years,
he said, adding he preferred not to
use the word drag. At other times,
he has interpreted Sophia Petrillo
of “The Golden Girls,” including
her famous wicker purse.
In addition to Mae West, there
were others in costume, including
the Aarlev family who came as the
coronavirus. As “My Corona,” they
played on The Knack’s song “My
Sharona,” which technically dates
from 1979, but was a hit through
the 1980s and a creative way for a
family to get into the act together.
Other costumes included an elaborate
Statue of Liberty, by Asaf Kimchy
honoring how he fi rst saw the
statue on his arrival into New York
from Israel.
Another long-time congregant,
Shep Wahnon, explained the modern
interpretation of the Purim
MICHAEL LUONGO
Asaf Kimchy interprets the Statue of Liberty,
which he saw soon after immigrating to the
United States from Israel.
story to Gay City News.
“The Megillah of Esther has been
around for centuries,” he said. “It
has only been recently though that
gay Jews took a look at it with a
queer perspective, and saw it as a
kind of coming out story. The story
has never been changed, but we
see it through our eyes and we personalize
it, and we see Esther as
a role model and as a template for
our coming out experience.”
MICHAEL LUONGO
MICHAEL LUONGO
The Aarlev family makes a play on “My Sharona” as “My Corona” at CBST.
Music making, singing, and playing piano were part of the Purim celebration.
RIDE FOR HALF PRICE
Starting in late January, low-income New York City residents
who are at or below the federal poverty level may qualify for
a half-priced transit fare using a Fair Fares MetroCard.
Check your eligibility at nyc.gov/fairfares
or call 311 for more information.
GayCityNews.com | March 12 - March 25, 2020 25
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