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These are words of one of the Purim songs. They mean holiday
Purim, holiday Purim in English… This holiday as all the others has a
long history but Purim is very special. Purim is a carnival when everybody
wears costumes of the characters that determined the destiny of Jewish
people 2500 years ago. The integral part of the holiday is abundant meals
with a lot of wine. Purim is celebrated every year for 2 days 14 and 15
of Adar, this year - 9 and 10 March.
The name of the holiday came from the word "pur";
"pur" means, "lot".
Once Aman (grandee at court of King Akhasheverosh) wanted
to annihilate all Jews of Persia. But his plans were not carried out!
Aman threw lots and on 14 and 15 Adar all jews should have been destroyed.
But Ester the King's wife and her brother Mordekhay stopped the evildoer
just in time.
This holiday everybody should keep 4 commandments:
1. To read the roll "Megelat Ester". And all men, women and
children have to listen to it.
2. To give presents to each other (two kinds of food)
3. To help needy people. Everybody has to help at least to needy Jews.
The minimum sum of money in our country is 3 tenge.
4. Holiday meals. A lot of food and alcoholic beverages. There is a proverb
saying: " Everybody must be drunk so nobody could distinguish Aman
from Mordekhay".
Purim was celebrated in Almaty. There was a big show in Almaty
Big Circus on 9 of March 2001; many circus performers participated in
it.
There was Yeshaya Cohen the main rabbi of Kazakhstan. He
was wearing costume of Akhashaverosh and read the Ester roll. All visitors
got small packets to present them to each other, carnival rattles and
a coin to keep the third commandment.
Klezmer Orchestra played before the show started and the
show finished in the park near the Circus with refreshments, "Aman's
ears" (tree-cornered rolls with poppy seeds), dances and traditional
purimshpil (Purim sketch) resented by Youth Club.
Mikhael Kulikov
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