by tskzOn Monday, 2 March, we commenced our celebrations of Purim — one of the most joyful holidays in the Jewish calendar. Purim commemorates the events which have been described in the Book of Esther, according to which Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai succeeded in saving the Jewish people from destruction planned by Haman, a court official in the Persian empire. As every year, members of the TSKŻ branches across Poland gathered together to celebrate together the joyful Festival of Lots.
BIELSKO-BIAŁA
Members of the local TSKŻ branch celebrated Purim at the premises of the Jewish Religious Community of Bielsko-Biała. Dorota Wiewióra, the branch instructor, welcomed the guests and invited everyone to celebrate together over a shared meal. Artists including Paweł Mikler, Eugeniusz Kubat, Łukasz Duchniak and Paweł Fabrowicz took the stage. The celebrations featured the reading of the Megillah and the traditional drowning out of the wicked Haman’s name, with music and dancing continuing well into the night.
CZĘSTOCHOWA
On Tuesday, 3 March, the TSKŻ branch in Częstochowa held the celebrations on the occasion of the Festival of Lots. In accordance with Purim customs, many guests arrived dressed in fancy costumes. For those who did not manage to dress up in costumes, the organizers prepared masks and colourful hats. Following the official part of the event, Izabela Sobańska-Klekowska, Chair of Branch, spoke about the significance of Purim and invited participants to take part in a joint reading of the Book of Esther. Nine volunteers took on the roles of the story’s characters, while participants, holding noisemakers, drowned out Haman’s name in keeping with tradition. The musical background of the event was prepared by Patrycja Zywert-Szypka, who was accompanied by Grzegorz Szypki. To conclude the celebration, guests sat down to a traditional meal featuring, among other things, hamantaschen.
DZIERŻONIÓW
On Monday, 2 March, Purim celebrations took place within the domicile of the TSKŻ Dzierżoniów. During the artistic part of the event, Robert Delegiewicz and Paweł Stuczyński took the stage, their music getting the audience involved in the festivities. Meanwhile, Bela Flajs, member of the Branch, shared her knowledge about the history and traditions linked to the Festival of Lots.
KATOWICE
The annual celebrations of Purim taking place at our club in Katowice were attended by both TSKŻ members and supporters. The guests were offered a welcome address by Chair Paweł Grabiec, who familiarised the audience with the origins of Purim and the significance of the biblical Book of Esther. Representatives of the local authorities also joined the communal feast accompanied by Jewish music, including Deputy Head of the Silesian Voivodeship Michał Kopański, Representative for National and Ethnic Minorities Magdalena Szewczuk-Szturc, and City Councillor Mariusz Skiba.
ŁÓDŹ
The hall of the Jewish Community on Pomorska Street filled with guests dressed in colourful and cheerful costumes. Members of the Łódź branch of TSKŻ opened their Purim celebrations with a concert by Waldemar Wiśniewski, accompanied by Marek Lewandowski. The richly set table offered a selection of Jewish and Israeli dishes prepared by Chair Magdalena Jureńczyk.
WAŁBRZYCH
Members of the TSKŻ Wałbrzych gathered on Thursday, 5 March to celebrate Purim together. The origins of this joyful Jewish holiday were explained by the branch’s youngest member, Natalia. The festivities unfolded to the accompaniment of Jewish film music.
WARSAW
At Club Babel, actors from the Jewish Theatre appeared on stage with a program entitled: Z maską i bez maski [With or Without a Mask…]. Together with the audience, they brought the Megillah—the story told in the Book of Esther—to life. The colourful, theatrical and musical performance, filled with humour, was warmly received by our members and created a truly festive atmosphere.
WROCŁAW
On Sunday, 8 March, members of the TSKŻ Wrocław met to celebrate Purim together. Paweł Stuczyński and Robert Delegiewicz presented their repertoire which featured klezmer music in distinctive jazz arrangements. Leopold Galicki and Inge Dinesen also took the stage, their performance putting guests in the joyful spirit of one of the most festive holidays in the Jewish calendar. A festive spread also awaited our members, complete with sweet hamantaschen.
All the events were made possible through a grant from the Minister of the Interior and Administration.
