Purim: Gifts, Groggers, and Good Food

The Hebrew month of Adar 2 just started and that means Purim is right around the corner. Our temple's Purim carnival will be on Purim Evening, Thursday March 20th from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Wear costumes, play games, celebrate together, and eat good food. On that same night, starting at 6:30 PM we will have a Purim service with Megillah reading, choir singing, and special spoof songs presented by our religious school students. (Remember, there will not be religious school on Wednesday afternoon March 19th - Heaven forbid you spend two days in a row at temple! But seriously, we want you to celebrate Purim with us and know you can't give up two school nights in a row.)

There are four special mitzvot for Purim according to the Book of Esther...
Megillat Esther: Hear the Megillah (Book of Esther) read aloud.
Se'udah: Celebrate with a Purim Se'udah (festive meal & party).
Mishloach Manot: Send gifts of food and treats to friends.
Matanot L'evyonim: Give tzedakah to support to poor.

Here's a fun way to celebrate. Make hamentaschen at home:

HAMANTASHEN
The dough for this recipe comes from Chocolate Chip Challah and Other Twists on the Jewish Holiday Table, by Lisa Rauchwerger, published by the UAHC Press.
1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons milk, water, soy milk or rice milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Making the dough:
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter (or margarine) and the sugar with beaters.Add eggs and beat a little more. In a smaller bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add a little of this mixture to the creamed butter, sugar and egg. Add the milk (regular, rice, soy or water) to the creamed mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture. Add the vanilla. Mix well. Knead the dough into a ball. (The dough works best if you wrap it in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for at
least an hour.You can make the dough early in the day and bake the cookies in the afternoon, or prepare the dough the night before and chill it overnight.)


Forming the Hamantashen:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Roll out the dough on a floured board until it is 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick.
Cut dough into 3-inch to 4-inch rounds with a floured glass or cookie cutter.
Drop filling by the teaspoonful in the center of each round.
Mentally divide the cookie into thirds, fold over the left and right sides, and pinch the top together. Then fold up the bottom third and pinch in place. A triangle should emerge,
with the filling showing in the middle.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Kid-Pleasing Fillings:
Fruit and chocolate chips are kid-pleasing fillings for
hamantashen. Canned apricot, cherry, apple or berry pie
fillings are available from the grocery store.

For more Purim recipes and activities check out the URJ Purim Parent Pages.

Happy Purim!