Children Come to Party in Costume to Celebrate Purim

Some of the children came in costumes recalling the heroes of the Jewish holiday of Purim--Mordecai and his niece, Queen Esther, who freed the Jews of ancient Persia from the tyranny of a ruler named Haman. Others, like the boy dressed as a dragon, favored imagination over tradition. Whatever the costume, the idea was the same: to celebrate this festive holiday at a children’s party sponsored Friday by the Jewish Community Center of South Orange County in Laguna Beach. A highlight of the event was the story of Esther told with life-size puppets by Judy Sofer, a professional puppeteer from Israel, as the children drowned out any mention of Haman with their noisemakers. The children also ate Hamantachen, a pastry named after the evil ruler. The actual day of Purim ended at sunset Tuesday. Today is Shusan Purim, so named because the Jews of Shusan, the capital of ancient Persia, fought their enemies for one more day.