News and Updates from the Community

Dear Friends:

Purim, now 2 weeks away, is being planned by the Committee for Purim Dysfunction. Allow us to take this opportunity to provide you with some sense of the schedule as well as various volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.

Sunday, February 25 - Kids' Pre-Purim Party: Join the Kommunity Kinderlach from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM for pre-Purim meshunanigans (meshunanigans will include hamantashen baking, grager making, Purim song singing, costume wearing, snack eating, and much more!!!). Please click here to register.

Taanit Esther, February 28 - The fast begins at 5:11 AM and generally concludes at 6:16 PM. Of course, the force of law is (barely) Rabbinic, so the fast may be broken at Sunset (5:46 PM) should you experience discomfort. We will daven Mincha together at 5:20 PM.

Purim begins on Wednesday night, February 28.  Maariv will begin at 6:30 PM, with Megilla shortly thereafter. Immediately following our services, the entire congregation is invited to join us for our Purim Celebration. We look forward to our friends from the University of Purim joining us at approximately 9:00 PM. The party will end at some point before morning services.

The theme for Purim this year is Bar Mitzvah. Do with this what you wish.

We will return on Thursday morning for Shacharit at 7:30 AM, with Megilla at 8:00 AM. 

Matanot LaEvyonim: Gifts to the poor is arguably the most important Mitzvah of Purim. In addition to his usual gifting, Rabbi Bellino will partner with Rabbi Zvi Romm of the Bialystoker Synagogue as well as Rabbi Joe Wolfson of JLIC-NYU and the NYU community, in providing gifts to those in the region who truly need our assistance. Please consider generously donating to Rabbi Bellino's Discretionary Fund on the website. Be sure to specify that this donation is for Purim Charity.

Your help: There's a lot of schlepping, decorating, supervising, drink mixing, and cleaning to be done. We are also in need of bar, beer, and snack sponsors (To be a sponsor of the Purim chaos, please go to the donate page and select the charge type 'Purim Chaos').

Gut Purim!