Pandemic Purim:
New Yorkers
celebrate the holiday
Traditional filling in the hamantaschen at Moishe’s Kosher Bakery.
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
The word “megillah” has defi nitely
entered American slang. According
to Merriam-Webster, it is defi ned
as a long involved story or a complicated
production. But, coming from Hebrew,
“megillah” actually means scroll or volume,
and is likely to be used in reference
to the biblical Book of Esther, which is
read aloud at Purim celebrations.
In a much-abbreviated explanation,
the Book of Esther, tells the story of the
power-hungry evil Haman who
insinuates himself with the King
of Persia and plans to kill all the Jews,
Astronauts in Crown Heights for
Purim.
a plot foiled by Queen Esther and her
cousin Mordechai.
A holiday when costumes and drinking
are festivity essentials, Purim can possibly
be called the Jewish version of Carnival
jubilating in this thwarted scheme.
Pandemic or not, New Yorkers celebrated
the holiday last Friday.
Abundantly available in bakeries around
In Crown
Heights, costumes
on the street are
integral to the
holiday.
this time, holiday hamantaschen
are joyfully
eaten. Said to be shaped
for the three-cornered hat
worn by “bad guy” Haman,
triangular cookies are fi lled
with the traditional mohn
(poppy seed) or lekvar
(prune jam). The name
translates as Haman’s
pocket.
Moishe’s Kosher
Bakery on Grand
near East Broadway
—its original location
at Second Ave. by E. 7th
Vodka and hamantaschen for when the reading is over.
sadly closed two years ago—soldout their
hamantaschen, offering the traditional
fi llings plus a slew of varieties—raspberry,
apricot, chocolate and mango.
Correct holiday adherence specifi es
hearing the whole story— read from the
Megillah scroll, in Hebrew—potentially
taking 20 minutes. In years past, Mitzvah
Mobiles traversed city streets offering Jewish
New Yorkers a chance to hear the whole
Megillah.
On the sidewalk outside of Thompson
Chemists on Thursday night, sociallydistanced
observants listened to the lengthy
Megillah reading, booing at the sound of
the name of Haman.
Yehuda Pevzner brought
friends and a Megillah reader
from Crown Heights in order
that Soho residents could
celebrate properly, rewarding
participants with hamantaschen and
vodka afterwards. This is the second
year the Megillah has been
read at the pharmacy, which
during non-pandemic times
is known for its bi-weekly
country western musicales.
Plays called Purim
spiels—satiric, comic
or theatrical parodies
PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
also accompany the holiday. The downtown
Jewish congregation Lab/Shul produced a
“Preposterous Pandemic Post Patriarchal
Prophetic Purim Portal.”
It’s Purim artist-in-residence Elana June
Margolis with Lab/Shul’s team of ritualists
and radicals crafted a fresh narration of
the Purim story with an online evening of
decadent and deranged offerings.
By Zoom to an audience of well over
550, many costumed in their living rooms,
performers transmitted an inspired and
awe-worthy production.
Rabbi Amichai revived his drag queen
persona Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross speaking
from the Queen Esther Retirement
Home. There were a slew of Esthers during
this multi-hour— briefest intermission
included—“R” rated production.
The night of raucous revelry continued
for another hour with a post-performance
DJ-driven dance party, still on Zoom,
hosted by Bushwick’s House of Yes.
One knows that Purim is a serious
holiday when in New York alternate side
of the street parking is suspended. With
obligingly mild February weather, in more
observant neighborhoods, costumed residents
spent the day delivering baskets of
Purim foodstuffs for a grand time to be
had by all.
With tiarras, dressed as Queen Esther, mothers and daughters listen to the
Megillah begin read.
Schneps Media March 4, 2021 19