D'var Torah

March 2006
Shevat-Adar-Nisan 5766

Purimspiel: All the World’s a Stage

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

from As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

If Tu b’Shevat has come and gone, can Purim and Pesah be far behind? With the approach of both of these holidays, our thoughts turn to the importance of children and family in Jewish celebration. Indeed, it is in the shared celebration of Jewish events that Jewish memories are created and transmitted from generation to generation. Sharing significant moments as a community reminds us of Moses’ statement to Pharaoh, “We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and our daughters, our flock and our herds, for we must celebrate the Lord’s festival” [Exodus 10:9].

Too often we tend to look at our Judaism as kinderspiel, as something we do for our children alone. Torah, Jewish tradition, and our own experiences suggest that our religious and spiritual life works best when shared. Recent surveys within the Jewish community indicate that the most observed Jewish moments across the board are Hanukkah and the Passover Seder. Attendance at the synagogue burgeons on Simhat Torah and Purim, when parents, grandparents, and children rejoice in shared synagogue moments. Participation of family in the transition moments of birth, B’nai Mitzvah, marriage, and death punctuate life-cycle moments. Sharing Shabbat meals Friday night and Saturday afternoon, making Kiddush, motzi, and havdalah on Saturday night: all family moment, mitzvah-making-for-memory occasions.

The synagogue is a vital partner in the creation of memories and in the transmission of Judaism from one generation to the next. We strive to teach the basics and to reinforce life lessons taught at home. We search for ways to bring joy, laughter and delight into doing and being Jewish. One of the ways in which we can do this is through our synagogue custom of encouraging adults as well as children to come in costume on the night of the reading of the Megillah, this year on March 13. This year we will not only have a Purimspiel [a Purim play] punctuating the megillah reading by congregants both young and not quite as young, a veritable Beatles-Purim extravaganza during which we will sing familiar melodies to slightly different words. We are also encouraging adult members of the congregation to come in costume to a specific theme: “My Favorite Characters in Literature” remembering that the Bible is also a book. I have spoken with Beyond Costumes, 530 Nepperhan Avenue, Yonkers, 914-963-1333, to assist you in finding and renting a costumes at a small discount. Bring yourselves, bring your cameras, and bring your joy and excitement. Young and old we will celebrate the festival.

Additional Divrei Torah