The North Louisiana Jewish Federation's Purim Carnival brings joy at B'nai Zion
Hopping around in a circle was an astronaut, a Super Mario Bros. and a Harry Potter House of Slytherin student all vying for a chance to win a sweet dessert in a recent game of Pastry Promenade at the North Louisiana Jewish Federation’s Purim Carnival held at the B'nai Zion Congregation Sunday afternoon.
When the music stopped and Kingston Hunter heard his number called, he raised his hands, gave out a cheer, and ran to the cart where a mountain of desserts waited. It was just one of the many activities that created joy for the holiday that celebrates the miraculous events told in the Book of Esther when the Jewish people were saved from destruction at the hands of Haman, an official in the Achaemenid Empire.
It is a time of celebration, and the carnival gathers people together where both adults and children can choose to wear a costume.
Even Rabbi Dr. Jana De Benedetti joined in when she transformed into a Minion, “We can kind of pretend to be someone else and see the world through another place,” De Benedetti said, adding, “and people will see us differently.”
“One of the joyous things about this holiday is that we sometimes have to see the world from a new perspective,” she continues.
Kyah Hunter chose her costume after taking an online Harry Potter test and learning what house she belonged to. Decked in her long black cloak and carrying a magic wand, her transformation was much different than the year before. “Last year, I was like a princess,” Hunter recalled.
The Eden Gardens Elementary School third grader has a lot of fun at the carnival and makes sure to eat plenty of sweets, not only her wins in the Pastry Promenade but others on the long table of food that holds a variety of foods from hot dogs to Hamantash, a buttery filled pocket pastry shaped like a triangular to represent the hat that Haman wore.
One of her favorite activities this year was creating Spin Art where a paper is placed on a spinning wheel and then paint is dripped from above where movement dictates the landing. Overlooking the art table was local artist and author Rachel Stuart-Haas who has been attending the carnival since she was a child, and now watches her own children attend.
Stuart-Haas considers this a community consisting of a tight group of friends she has grown up with since she was little: “Their kids are friends now with my kids, and it's great.”
Barbara Joseph, Executive Director of the North Louisiana Jewish Federation, also remembers going as a child, “It was a day of community and a lot of people coming together.”
As she looked around that day she saw a variety of people, “It's a wonderful feeling to see all the different generations together.”
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The North Louisiana Jewish Federation's Purim Carnival brings joy at B'nai Zion
