BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Perseverance, speaking up, and miracles... the Chabad of Bakersfield shares how each year, the community commemorates these values that have carried on for centuries
- Hamentaschen cookies– a sweet dessert that has a much deeper history.
- While baking these cookies, 23ABC reporter Avery Elowitt spoke with Esther Schlanger, director of the Chabad of Bakersfield, and her daughter, Raizy, about what significance these cookies hold during Purim.
- Plus, other ways the Jewish community celebrates and commemorates Purim
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Purim is the celebration, a joyous, happy holiday celebrating a time when the Jewish nation was set to be annihilated and destroyed by the local government in the Persian Empire in the 4th century BCE. And through great miracles, the Jewish people were saved,” said Esther Schlanger, the director of the Chabad of Bakersfield.
23ABC reporter Avery Elowitt spoke with Schlanger and her daughter, Raizy, about how the community celebrates this holiday.
Hamentaschen
“What we’re making today is Hamentashen, little triangle shaped cookies. And that’s a customary, fun food that we eat on the holiday. And Hamentashen is actually Yiddish for Haman’s ears,” Schlanger said. “So Haman was the bad guy who wanted to annihilate the Jewish people and he didn’t make it… It’s just a fun thing that we eat on the holiday that’s become the custom.”
Megillah Esther
Each year, the community gathers to read the Purim story known as the Megillah Esther.
“The hero of the story was Queen Esther. She was a Jewish woman who was taken by force into the palace as queen… she hid her identity, no one knew that she was Jewish… Haman had done a lottery which had stated in one year… everyone in the Persian Empire has permission to murder their neighbors or Jewish neighbors,” said Schlanger. “And with a lot of self sacrifice, because she could have been killed… ultimately it was to her actions that saved the entire Jewish nation.”
The Grager
While listening to the story, everyone has what's called a grager.
“Every time the name Haman is mentioned, he’s the bad guy, he’s the one who said gone with the Jews, down with the Jews, we say boo and we spin the grager,” said Schlanger.
Costumes
Beyond feasting and reading, many people dress up in costumes.
“So God’s hand is hidden in the Purim story,” Schlanger said. “So we dress up and hid ourself, with the concept of hidden just as God’s hand was hidden throughout the Purim story and a bunch of seeming coincidences.”
Charity
And finally, Schlanger says it’s important to give to the community on Purim.
“We make sure to give charity cause whenever we’re joyful and celebrating, we always remember those who have less than us,” Schlanger said.
With the various ways the community participates in Purim, they say that the centuries-old messages still holds true.
“... Queen Esther… in the time that she was in when the Jews were in such danger, and she was told to speak up, she spoke up. And that’s what we need to do– not just as Jews, but everyone.”
Purim started on Saturday evening, lasting through Sunday.
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