For the first time, an evening of Jewish joke telling and comedy will be held to crown the best joke-teller in St. Louis. “Purim Night Live” will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 16 at the Jewish Community Center’s Staenberg Family Complex, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. The event is free and open to the public (ages 18 and older). 

“In addition to the Purim traditions of reading the Megillah, sending gifts to neighbors and friends, giving gifts to the poor and having a festive feast, one of the customs of the Jewish holiday of Purim is to put on a ‘Purim shpiel (play),’ laughing and enjoying together as a community,” said Rabbi Brad Horwitz, director of the JCC’s Helene Mirowitz Center of Jewish Community Life. “This Jewish joke-telling event is therefore a fitting way for adults to come together in the spirit of the Purim holiday.”

Purim Night Live will feature cameo entertainment from the cast of the New Jewish Theatre’s upcoming production, “Old Jews Telling Jokes.” In addition, a special rabbinic panel of judges will include Rabbi Andrea Goldstein from Congregation Shaare Emeth, Rabbi Ari Kaiman from Congregation B’nai Amoona, Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg from United Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Lane Steinger from Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community. Participants are invited to bring their funniest “clean” joke or two to share. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top winners.

Purim Night Live is a free event but RSVPs required by March 12 to Rabbi Horwitz at [email protected]. This event is chaired by Richard Katz and coordinated by the J’s Helene Mirowitz Center of Jewish Community Life.  It is co-sponsored by B’nai Amoona, Shaare Emeth, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community, Congregation Temple Israel and United Hebrew.