Community Corner
Celebrating Purim in Westchester [Photos]
Folks gathered in Briarcliff Manor for a colorful celebration of Purim Sunday.
Today Jews celebrated Purim with the spirit of unity having survived the plot by the evil Persian minister Haman who sought the extermination of the Jews in the kingdom until Queen Esther, herself a Jew, convinced King Ahasuenus to stop the massacre.
The holiday is a spirited event with celebrants dressing in costumes and reading the Megillah or Book of Esther, which tells the tale. Whenever the name of Haman is mentioned, noisemakers called graggers are spun to drown out his name.
A feast and the sharing of gifts of food among friends is another tradition as is the giving of charity to those in need. At the Briarcliff Recreation Center, members of Chabad of Briarcliff Manor & Ossining celebrated Purim as dozens of locals and their families shared the celebration.
