Courtesy of Congregation Rodeph Shalom
Congregation Rodeph Shalom congregants and clergy dress up for Purim.

tion, according to Roemer. At Rodeph
Shalom, 40 are involved.

With congregant participation,
Purimspiels take on a life of their own.

At Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel, in
addition to the traditional spiel, congre-
gants create a video twice annually
about a Jewish village with the same
cast of characters for the past 10 years.

Over the decade, interest in the project
has grown, with more members of the
village being added.

The synagogue staff also creates a
spiel with inside jokes about BZBI’s
culture, such as the tendency for the
bar or bat mitzvah kid to leave their bag
of gifts, created by the synagogue’s
Sisterhood, at the shul. The jokes,
though specifi c, should never target an
individual or be mean-spirited.

“You want everyone to be in on the
joke,” Rabbi Abe Friedman said.

Remember the Purim story
At the end of the day, Purim is a story
of Jewish history, and spiels are an
opportunity for learning. But Jews
have long balanced joy and sorrow,
which Rabbi Eric Yanoff of Adath Israel
on the Main Line believes is the key to
fi nding meaning in the holiday.

“One of the ways that people
respond to such turns of fate is
through laughter and satire and irony
and other forms of humor, and Jews
have really embraced that throughout
our history,” Yanoff said.

Humor can off er catharsis and
a way to process diffi cult themes.

Purimspiels, with a diff erent theme
every year, also let congregations use
a Jewish story to connect with the
issues of the day in a more accessible
way. “The story is not a one-time fl ash
in the pan in history,” Yanoff said.

“But rather, it becomes generalized to
other moments.” ■
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com ENJOY
OUR WARMTH!
Join the warmth and friendliness that is
Paul’s Run. Enjoy friends in our brand new culinary
venues. In addition you will have a multitude of
lifestyle programs. There is so much to love about
living at Paul’s Run!
SAVE 20% FOR LIFE! *
Retirement Community
Contact Jennifer and Rebecca to schedule your personal visit at
1-877-859-9444 PaulsRun.org/Welcome
*While residing in Independent Living. On your
first year alone, you will save up to $8,900.

9896 Bustleton Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19115
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 7