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Every year in Israel, communities across the country gather to celebrate Purim through megillah readings, lively street parties, creative costumes, and indulging in sweet triangular pastries called hamantaschens. The joyful holiday commemorates a story of resilience amid adversity: the saving of the Jewish people by Queen Esther from an ancient Persian ruler, as told in the Hebrew Bible.
This year, even amid the war with Iran, communities found ways to keep spirits high, AP reports. Instead, celebrations took place in a different kind of way. Revelers of all ages showed up in costume inside fortified shelters. Even underground, families came together to embrace joy, which is especially meaningful since the Purim story is set in ancient Persia, in what is now modern-day Iran.
Finding Light Underground During Purim in Tel Aviv
In Tel Aviv, a flurry of people wearing sequins, feathers, and full-on Purim flair met in a mall’s underground parking lot that doubles as a bomb shelter. The day included a traditional reading of the Purim story and music, as hundreds came together and danced.
“It’s all about choosing happiness, choosing to be joyful, no matter what else is going on,” Mariel Margulis, a Tel Aviv resident, tells AP. Elysa Rapoport, a Tel Aviv resident, joined in on the fun with her daughters. One dressed as a Barbie cowgirl, and the other as Rumi from K-pop Demon Hunters. “We came because the kids didn’t want to miss out on Purim, they were really excited to get dressed up,” Rapoport says.
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The Joy of Purim Echoes in a Jerusalem Shelter
Celebrations took place elsewhere in the country, including in Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Post reports. At a bomb shelter in Jerusalem, children didn’t miss out on the Purim fun. Kids put on their costumes and enjoyed treats and games, and as rockets were intercepted, families sang holiday songs.
While children dressed up as Spider-Man, a fairy, a police woman, a pirate, and a clown, at other times, kids who were sleeping were carried in by their parents. At one point, a neighbor put on a giant Minnie Mouse head and gave out mishloach manot, bags filled with Purim goodies. A few children were dressed up again, and some also took turns putting on the Minnie head.
As residents, families, and partygoers celebrated Purim across the country, the message was clear: light can still shine even in uncertain moments. When people gather to choose joy, unity becomes a powerful act of resilience.
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