Despite Grief, Temple Rejoices

To 89-year-old Louis Eisen of Laguna Hills, the whole idea behind Tuesday’s Jewish celebration of Purim was to symbolically rejoice in Jews’ freedom from a plot to kill them.

“We wanted to keep tradition,” Eisen said. “You can’t change the history of a thousand years.”

While recent bombings in Israel have put a damper on Purim celebrations at some synagogues, Temple Judea in Laguna Hills proudly held its event.

Members chanted with young Jewish schoolchildren they had invited to join in the festivities. They shared hamantaschen--fruit-filled, triangle-shaped pastry--and exchanged gifts, as tradition dictates.

The children read a Bible story from the Book of Esther, the megillah, that told of Haman, the minister of the king of Persia, who wanted to kill all the Jews of Persia. But Haman was thwarted by Esther, the Jewish queen of King Ahasuerus, who joined with her uncle Mordecai and dissuaded the king from the plot.

(Haman drew lots to determine the day the Jews were to be killed. The word “Purim” comes from the Hebrew word pur, which means “lot.” Haman was later killed for his plot.)

“Purim is a happy thing,” temple President Martin Alpert said. “It celebrates a story of a prime minister in Persia named Haman who was thwarted by Queen Esther. If we’re celebrating the fact that the Jews were saved, why should we let Hamas stop us from that?”

Four recent bombings in Israel, including Monday’s tragedy, in which a Muslim suicide bomber killed 14 and wounded 105 in Tel Aviv, are all said to be the work of Hamas, a militant Islamic movement.

A memorial service for those killed in the bombings was held Monday night at the temple, which joined many other synagogues with similar services. Members said they did not want to mix the somber service and the Purim celebration.

“We had children here all dressed up and decorated in costumes,” said Eisen’s wife, Harriet. “We didn’t want to upset them.”

The children arrived for the celebration in Persian-style costumes. Some were kings and queens, and one youth--blending the old with the new--wore a Sonic Hedgehog suit, a la a Saturday morning cartoon character.

“We had a mixing of modern and traditional wear,” said Eve Fein, director of the Morasha School, a private kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school in Aliso Viejo.

“The students are not sure whether the story is true, but it’s a good story and we tell it anyway,” Fein said. “And the central part of the day is to tell this story.”

As Morasha schoolchildren read the megillah, Fein said, they joined with adult temple members in hissing and booing, as is tradition, each time Haman’s name was said.

Given the tragic news in Israel, Fein said, the celebration not only helped teach a cultural lesson, but also gave some hope.

After the temple festivities, the children enjoyed a pizza banquet at their school, where they later said a prayer for peace, Fein said.

“We have one staff member who is from Israel,” Fein said, “and many of our families are from Israel, and we have numerous friends and relatives from there. So we explained to the children that to cancel the festivities would be almost like the bad guys winning.”

Temple Judea is located near Leisure World, where most of its members live. Because it is an elderly congregation, they have adopted the school’s students as their own “grandchildren” and wanted to share their celebration, Eisen said.

“Even though we are terribly upset with the situation” in Israel, Eisen said, “we wanted to continue with our traditional celebration.”

For temple member Shirley Brodsky, “hope” was the watchword.

“I think there’s a movement afoot that a faction of Hamas is now seeking peace. I heard that Arab leaders are pleading for peace. The latest bombing will only exacerbate a very difficult situation where they kill, then we kill, and it starts all over again,” she said.

An event to demonstrate solidarity with the Israeli people will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Chisick Auditorium on the Jewish Federation campus, 250 E. Baker St., in Costa Mesa.

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The Point of Purim

* Purim is a joyous Jewish festival commemorating the rescue of Persian Jews from a plot to kill them.

* Celebrations include gift exchanges, a reading from the Book of Esther, called the megillah , and eating hamantaschen , which is triangle-shaped pastry.

* According to the story, Haman, a minister to King Ahasuerus, wanted to kill all the Jews. After persuading the king, Haman drew lots to determine when the Jews would be killed. But he was thwarted by Esther, Ahasuerus’ Jewish queen. She and her uncle Mordecai succeeded in changing the king’s mind about the plot. Haman later was killed.

* The word “Purim” comes from the Hebrew word pur, meaning “lot.”

Sources: World Book Encyclopedia, Temple Judea, the Morasha School; Researched by DAVID REYES / Los Angeles Times