Three institutions. One holiday where adults wear wigs and children get sugar highs that would terrify most pediatricians. Purim, in other words, did its job.
Here’s a quick look at how three St. Louis Jewish institutions marked the holiday this year.
Congregation Shaare Emeth
At Congregation Shaare Emeth, Purim came with a distinctly modern soundtrack.
The synagogue’s celebration included its annual J-Pop Purim program, where music, costumes and high-energy performances helped bring the story of Esther to life. Congregants also joined in lighting up “Shushan like a disco ball,” part of a festive atmosphere that carried through the congregation’s participation in the St. Louis Jewish community’s SGP Purim Parade.
Hundreds of participants turned out for the celebration, filling the event with costumes, dancing and plenty of Purim spirit.
Organizers said the energy of the crowd helped make the event feel less like a performance and more like a community-wide party, with families, students and adults all joining the fun.
Congregation Temple Israel
At Congregation Temple Israel, Purim festivities centered on a creative retelling of the holiday story.
On Sunday, March 1, students from Temple Israel’s Religious School performed “A Peter Pan Shpiel,” a Purim play directed by teen leaders and featuring dialogue and song lyrics that told the story of Esther through the familiar world of Neverland.
Following the performance, families moved to the synagogue’s indoor Purim Carnival, which featured games, prizes, food, hamantashen and a costume contest. Entertainment included Christian the Magician and Serengeti Steve’s reptile experience.
Students performing in the shpiel included Ari Conner, Jameson Conner, Max Eidelman, Zara Flagg, Henry Glazer, Rosie Goldenberg, Lana Growe, Noa Holtzman-Gast, Keira Lefton, Hannah Leibovici, Miriam Leibovici, Judah Leonard, Ari Litvin, Nora Miller-Cohn, Ariella Palatnik, Taylor Ruben, Carolyn Sasek and Schuyler Van Ryn.
The production was directed by Jonah Alper, Molly Alper, Aviva Elkana and Evelyn Hollander.
Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School
Superheroes took center stage at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School’s Purim Carnival.
Students arrived in costume for a celebration that included games, a jump house and a full afternoon of Purim activities. The theme leaned into comic-book fun, with students embracing capes, masks and heroic identities for the day.
School leaders said the event highlighted one of the core ideas of Purim: the joy of celebrating together as a community.
