purim festivities at Congregation B’nai Israel

Celebrate Purim with your CBI Family!

Purim, the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, is the most fun-filled, action-packed day of the Jewish year, as it commemorates our people’s miraculous salvation more than 2,000 years ago. We celebrate the bravery of Queen Esther and Mordechai. When they learned that Haman, who worked for King Ahasuerus, was plotting against the Jews, they told the king about Haman's evil plan and saved the Jewish people.

Scroll down to discover ways to celebrate.

Fulfilling Mitzvot

In addition to the fun traditions surround Purim, there are also four commandments or mitzvot to fulfill: Megillah, Mishloach Manot, Mishteh and Matanot L'evyonim. All of the mitzvot associated with Purim are related to taking care of one another. Click here to learn more.

For questions about our Purim events, please call the office at 561.241.8118.

Purim events

Purim Carnival

Sunday, March 5 at 3-6pm
Campus Wide

Join NCECE and the SLJ for our annual Purim Carnival! Enjoy carnival rides, entertainment, food stations, carnival treats and much more! Come dressed as your favorite Purim character.

Please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to our Little Free Pantries to fulfill the Purim mitzvah of Matanot L'evyonim.

  • $18/child (children under 2 are free)
  • Food tickets will be available for purchase at the door

Grease Purim Shpiel

Monday, March 6 at 5:30pm
Cohen/Friedkin Sanctuary

Calling all T-Birds and Pink Ladies! Join us as we enjoy the story of Purim set to your favorite "Grease" tunes! Pizza dinner will be served at 5:30pm, and our Shpiel will begin at 6pm in the sanctuary followed by a hamantaschen oneg.

Megillah and Mimosas

Tuesday, March 7 at 11am
Pollock Family Courtyard
 

Join us for an adults-only discussion of the Book of Esther while we enjoy light breakfast bites and mimosas. Let's take a deeper look into what life was like in Shushan and chat about what really went down during the Purim story. 

 
Please bring one of the following items to fulfill the Purim mitzvah of Matanot L'Evyonim, or giving gifts to those in need: cereal, soup, canned veggies and fruit, tea and coffee, pasta and rice. We invite you to lend a hand after the event and help us assemble Purim bags for JFS homebound seniors.
Thank you to our Sponsors:

Myrick Produce, WRJ/CBI Sisterhood and the Kantor Family Center for Justice

Purim Mitzvot

Reading the Megillah

On Purim, the Megillah (or story of Purim) is read aloud in synagogues all over the world – and this is one time when no one is discouraged from making noise during the service! In fact, listeners shake their groggers (Yiddish for “noisemakers”) every time they hear the name of the villain of the story, Haman.

Support for Those in Need

Giving directly to those experiencing poverty, Matanot L’evyonim, is the fourth mitzvah. Giving to others, especially on Purim, ensures that everyone has the means to celebrate during the holiday and also honors Esther and Mordechai’s legacy of saving the Jewish people.

Fulfilling this mitzvah is something we do year-round at CBI through our social action initiatives. This month, we are collecting cereal, soup, canned veggies and fruit, tea and coffee, pasta and rice to create Purim bags for JFS seniors.

You can drop off your donations at any of our Purim events or in CBI's Admin Circle on Mondays 9:30am-12:30pm and 3:30pm-5:30pm or Fridays 9:30am-12:30pm. You can also order directly from Amazon.

Eating a Special Meal

In addition to the Purim Shpiel, costume parade, carnival and baking hamantaschen, many families also enjoy the Seudah, or the Purim feast. This commandment, also know as Mishteh is to “eat, drink, and be merry.”

Giving Gifts to Friends and Neighbors

The second mitzvah is sending gifts, or Mishloach Manot which is Hebrew for Purim gift baskets. Gifts of food to friends and colleagues ensure that everyone has the means to be happy, further foiling the evil plans of Haman. Here are some easy gifts in a jar to assemble with your family this year.