• Red Lentil Soup: http://www.herbivoracious.com/2008/04/recipe-syrian-y.html
• Labneh (Spiced Yogurt Cheese): http://www.herbivoracious.com/2008/04/recipe-syrian-s.html
• Ricotta Pancakes: http://www.herbivoracious.com/2008/04/recipe-atayef-.html

Thanks Michael… They were fantastic.

Compared to Beth Shalom of Chicago’s that is (check out the video below – it is well worth watching all of it)… it’s amazing the differences between some of the excitement they get out compared to the average Conservative service (or Reform, or Orthodox), while still holding on nearly all of the traditions. It really shows the variance that groups can have in how to push forward the same basic practices and experiences – and still hold acceptance by mainstream Judaism (the Rabbi here is part of the Chicago Board of Rabbi’s)

(My brother is heading to Chicago this weekend and really wants to attend here – he’s utterly intrigued – as am I now, after seeing a few of the write-ups he’s sent me and watching this video)

(thanks to http://mazel123.blogspot.com/2007/09/video-of-chicagos-black-synagogue.html)

There are quite a few traditions around the holiday. The main one’s important to me are:

• Eating Hamantaschen (three-cornered cookies with a fruit filling in the middle)
• Hearing the Megillah (Book of Esther) being read from start to finish
• Drinking! (You are supposed to drink enough to not be able to tell the difference between the good guy, Mordecai, and the bad guy, Haman)
• Dressing up (think of it as the Jewish Halloween; costumes abound!)

In honor of the holiday, our local group (Kavana) had a Purim event this evening, filled with all of the above, for kids and adults alike. We both participated in the reading of the Megillah, so it was an even greater honor.

Joelle and I took the opportunity to dress up, and went with costumes that we had found while we were in Israel shopping. We were walking down Ben Yehuda Street (the main shopping street in downtown Jerusalem) and came upon a costume shop. Joelle found a Shtreimel black hat, as often worn by Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, decorated with peyes (ritual very long sideburns/sidelocks – Orthodox men have them due to a prohibition against shaving). Taking a liking to this idea, Joelle decided to make a whole costume out of it, and correspondingly, I was forced into a women’s outfit (dressed as an Orthodox Jewish Grandmother – we found the wig at the same store, augmented by a Value Village run).

Even better, this fulfills a bet I made with a friend awhile ago; to dress in drag for a holiday (he meant Halloween, but close enough), as he tends to always do this in exchange for him shaving off his beard of many years. Can’t remember why I agreed to it; but it is now complete!

Pictures, of course – aren’t we sexy!

(Click on the pictures for the full versions)

After reading this, I plan on doing just this as my grogger… what a great idea.

For the full article, see http://blog.rabbijason.com/2008/03/new-purim-tradition.html 

"Rabbi Menachem Creditor has shared a new Purim tradition that he learned from his teacher Marcia Brooks. She encourages people to bring boxes of Kosher pasta to synagogue to use as graggers (noise makers); shaking them for noise and then donating them to a food pantry once the Megillah is completed. With this new tradition, one fulfills the custom of drowning out the name of "Haman" from the Megillah reading while also performing the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim."

Food for thought… (pun intended!)