Baruch Morde... why?
March 1, 2015 3:19 PM Subscribe
Purim starts Wednesday night. A minor Jewish holiday best described as a cross between Halloween and St. Patrick's Day, Purim celebrates Esther.
In addition to imbibing in costume, charity is a key part of Purim. And of course, no Jewish holiday is complete without a song from the Maccabeats.
In addition to imbibing in costume, charity is a key part of Purim. And of course, no Jewish holiday is complete without a song from the Maccabeats.
It's a minority opinion, but hamentashen > latkes.
posted by leotrotsky at 3:50 PM on March 1, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by leotrotsky at 3:50 PM on March 1, 2015 [14 favorites]
You know how you sometimes believe really dumb things? And then when you realize how dumb you were, you worry about like traumatic brain injury or something?
For the longest time I thought hamentaschen were made with ham.
posted by vogon_poet at 4:01 PM on March 1, 2015 [8 favorites]
For the longest time I thought hamentaschen were made with ham.
posted by vogon_poet at 4:01 PM on March 1, 2015 [8 favorites]
I had no idea that this holiday existed...until I saw For Your Consideration. Now the mere mention of Purim brings a smile to my face.
posted by Ber at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Ber at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
A highlight of my life was dressing up as Rogue for the Temple Adath Yeshurin Purim Party in 8th grade and kissing Aaron in the hallway.
posted by ChuraChura at 4:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 4:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [5 favorites]
Purim: a holiday marking the anniversary of a major bloodletting, celebrated with G-rated children's costumes.
Halloween: a harvest holiday that picked up a theme centered on the macabre.
Humans are weird.
posted by ocschwar at 5:20 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Halloween: a harvest holiday that picked up a theme centered on the macabre.
Humans are weird.
posted by ocschwar at 5:20 PM on March 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
I really should do an Ask Metafilter on Purim costume concepts for someone on crutches with a kneehigh cast, and an inability to sit for more than about 1/2hr. This might be my year for drag queen with heels, as I will actually be able to locomote due to the crutches.
I have an entire closet full of, ummm, 50 Shades of Grey butch drag, but I don't think shul is the place to preview my Folsom Street Fair 5776 look. A/K/A "Dress To Oppress."
posted by Dreidl at 5:25 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have an entire closet full of, ummm, 50 Shades of Grey butch drag, but I don't think shul is the place to preview my Folsom Street Fair 5776 look. A/K/A "Dress To Oppress."
posted by Dreidl at 5:25 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have an entire closet full of, ummm, 50 Shades of Grey butch drag, but I don't think shul is the place to preview my Folsom Street Fair 5776 look. A/K/A "Dress To Oppress."
Hey, the prohibition against cross-dressing is lifted! And I'm pretty sure my shul once did a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" purimshpil, so there you go.
posted by damayanti at 5:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Hey, the prohibition against cross-dressing is lifted! And I'm pretty sure my shul once did a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" purimshpil, so there you go.
posted by damayanti at 5:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's a minority opinion, but hamentashen > latkes.
It's the correct opinion, though.
posted by jeather at 5:34 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's the correct opinion, though.
posted by jeather at 5:34 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
And I'm pretty sure my shul once did a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" purimshpil, so there you go.
My shul definitely did. The audience danced the Time Warp in between readings of the megillah.
posted by Ruki at 5:38 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
My shul definitely did. The audience danced the Time Warp in between readings of the megillah.
posted by Ruki at 5:38 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is what happened to me the first time I celebrated Purim.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:50 PM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:50 PM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
I really should have said something other than audience, but we were in a high school auditorium, so...
posted by Ruki at 6:09 PM on March 1, 2015
posted by Ruki at 6:09 PM on March 1, 2015
Eyebrows, that's a fantastic story.
Anyone have a good recipe for hamentaschen dough? I'm cool with solo poppyseed filling for the insides...
posted by leahwrenn at 6:13 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Anyone have a good recipe for hamentaschen dough? I'm cool with solo poppyseed filling for the insides...
posted by leahwrenn at 6:13 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's a minority opinion, but hamentashen > latkes.
One of the reasons I miss the University of Chicago is the annual Latke vs. Hamentash debate (although it's held during the latke-appropriate season, which I suppose might lead to a bit of bias). Thanks to the miracle of teh internets, the debates are now livestreamed and preserved for posterity. Here's the last one.
posted by thomas j wise at 6:26 PM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
One of the reasons I miss the University of Chicago is the annual Latke vs. Hamentash debate (although it's held during the latke-appropriate season, which I suppose might lead to a bit of bias). Thanks to the miracle of teh internets, the debates are now livestreamed and preserved for posterity. Here's the last one.
posted by thomas j wise at 6:26 PM on March 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Much as it pains me to admit, my notorious-for-heimishkeit shul full of some of the most loving and accepting, most thoughtful community I have ever had the pleasure to know, cannot party AT ALL. Srsly.
They've tried to prohibit Purim drinking some years, not for legal reasons, but because... well because hardly anyone did anyway, so it wasn't that different. Never again will we have the Ersatz Treif Mid-Century Cocktail Noshes. Too... realistic (!). For reals, the Crab Rangoon and Cheeseburger Sliders were VEGAN and they banned them anyway.The costumes, for the most part, are full-coverage assigned-gender. Not a boob or hairy chest with pearls to be seen. Maybe they expect the large queer contingent to make up for it? We don't.
But trust me when I say showing up in full leatherman, rubber or what-have-you is just too sexy for these folks. I really hope they're more fun when not in shul, because folks this conventional at all times are just too straight to live - the poor dears would be merely existing.
posted by Dreidl at 6:35 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
They've tried to prohibit Purim drinking some years, not for legal reasons, but because... well because hardly anyone did anyway, so it wasn't that different. Never again will we have the Ersatz Treif Mid-Century Cocktail Noshes. Too... realistic (!). For reals, the Crab Rangoon and Cheeseburger Sliders were VEGAN and they banned them anyway.The costumes, for the most part, are full-coverage assigned-gender. Not a boob or hairy chest with pearls to be seen. Maybe they expect the large queer contingent to make up for it? We don't.
But trust me when I say showing up in full leatherman, rubber or what-have-you is just too sexy for these folks. I really hope they're more fun when not in shul, because folks this conventional at all times are just too straight to live - the poor dears would be merely existing.
posted by Dreidl at 6:35 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Great post - thanks for making it!
(Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to the full text of the link associated with "Halloween" in your post.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:41 PM on March 1, 2015
(Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to the full text of the link associated with "Halloween" in your post.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:41 PM on March 1, 2015
(Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to the full text of the link associated with "Halloween" in your post.)
Hmm, I think I broke it. I could read the full article when I posted it, but now I can't.
posted by Ruki at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2015
Hmm, I think I broke it. I could read the full article when I posted it, but now I can't.
posted by Ruki at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2015
If you click on it from this search, (it's the second link), you should be able to read it.
posted by Ruki at 6:49 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruki at 6:49 PM on March 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Leahwren:
This us my go to and it tastes awesome, is easy to work with and holds together in transit to your hamantashen-obsessed colleagues. I actually do make a batch w the recommended pecan-fig filling. It is more sophisticated (and people love them!) than my other standard fillings (preserves/lekvar/nutella/lemon curd, etc) without trying too hard.
Whatever recipe you choose, be sure its got oil and orange juice. Otherwise (I think) it is just some rando triangular cookie.
posted by atomicstone at 6:59 PM on March 1, 2015
This us my go to and it tastes awesome, is easy to work with and holds together in transit to your hamantashen-obsessed colleagues. I actually do make a batch w the recommended pecan-fig filling. It is more sophisticated (and people love them!) than my other standard fillings (preserves/lekvar/nutella/lemon curd, etc) without trying too hard.
Whatever recipe you choose, be sure its got oil and orange juice. Otherwise (I think) it is just some rando triangular cookie.
posted by atomicstone at 6:59 PM on March 1, 2015
My stepsons are Jewish. (Reform) Their father and I are Christian. Growing up they went to Hebrew School and became Bar Mitzvahs. (That construction seems awkward but I think it's correct.)That's the backstory.
A few years ago I was the curriculum director for an Episcopal church. We were using something called the "rotation model" which basically meant that we would study one Bible story for 4 or 5 weeks, and every week the different classes of kids would rotate through different stations relating to the lesson. By the end of those weeks each class had done every lesson.
One week was the feast, where the kids dressed up and set the table and ate a fancy meal.
One week was cooking Hamantaschen down in the kitchen.
One week was making groggers and learning about the Megillah.
One week we watched the Veggietales version of the story.
In short, we were Purim-tastic. It was all-Esther, all the time. We even gave the Bishop some of our Hamentaschen.
Some time later, my husband and one of my stepsons (23 at the time) and I were in Brooklyn and we saw a poster on a telephone pole advertising a Purim party. I made some joke about their Hamentaschen not being as good as mine or something and my stepson just looked at me. He had no idea what Hamentaschen were. He had no idea what Purim was. He had never heard of Esther.
So we walked along in Brooklyn and I gave him the Episcopal Sunday school version of the Megillah. I am not totally sure he believed me. Hopefully he went home and asked his mother.
I just still can't fathom it. Why wouldn't you celebrate Purim with your kids? I mean come on, that'd be like if I kept my kids in the dark about Pancake Tuesday.
posted by Biblio at 8:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
A few years ago I was the curriculum director for an Episcopal church. We were using something called the "rotation model" which basically meant that we would study one Bible story for 4 or 5 weeks, and every week the different classes of kids would rotate through different stations relating to the lesson. By the end of those weeks each class had done every lesson.
One week was the feast, where the kids dressed up and set the table and ate a fancy meal.
One week was cooking Hamantaschen down in the kitchen.
One week was making groggers and learning about the Megillah.
One week we watched the Veggietales version of the story.
In short, we were Purim-tastic. It was all-Esther, all the time. We even gave the Bishop some of our Hamentaschen.
Some time later, my husband and one of my stepsons (23 at the time) and I were in Brooklyn and we saw a poster on a telephone pole advertising a Purim party. I made some joke about their Hamentaschen not being as good as mine or something and my stepson just looked at me. He had no idea what Hamentaschen were. He had no idea what Purim was. He had never heard of Esther.
So we walked along in Brooklyn and I gave him the Episcopal Sunday school version of the Megillah. I am not totally sure he believed me. Hopefully he went home and asked his mother.
I just still can't fathom it. Why wouldn't you celebrate Purim with your kids? I mean come on, that'd be like if I kept my kids in the dark about Pancake Tuesday.
posted by Biblio at 8:31 PM on March 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
He had no idea what Hamentaschen were. He had no idea what Purim was. He had never heard of Esther.
This was the kid who went to Hebrew school? Was he messing with you? How do you get through Hebrew school without knowing about Purim?
As far as celebrating it, outside of Hebrew school activities, most of the reform families I knew didn't really "celebrate" Purim, unless you call picking up Hamentaschen from the bakery "celebrating." Then again, we never had Pancake Tuesdays, either.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:45 PM on March 1, 2015
This was the kid who went to Hebrew school? Was he messing with you? How do you get through Hebrew school without knowing about Purim?
As far as celebrating it, outside of Hebrew school activities, most of the reform families I knew didn't really "celebrate" Purim, unless you call picking up Hamentaschen from the bakery "celebrating." Then again, we never had Pancake Tuesdays, either.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:45 PM on March 1, 2015
It's a minority opinion, but hamentashen > latkes.
It's the correct opinion, though.
No. You are wrong. While hamentashen are delightful cookies, latkes are fried disks of pure goodness.
Also, throughout my entire adolescence I played Vashti in the Purim schpiel at my synagogue. It's really no wonder I grew up to be a raging radical feminist.
posted by Sophie1 at 6:36 AM on March 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's the correct opinion, though.
No. You are wrong. While hamentashen are delightful cookies, latkes are fried disks of pure goodness.
Also, throughout my entire adolescence I played Vashti in the Purim schpiel at my synagogue. It's really no wonder I grew up to be a raging radical feminist.
posted by Sophie1 at 6:36 AM on March 2, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm going to make a confession: the "greater than" sign always confuses me, even with the shark analogy, so I'm happy to unequivocally stand with Sophie1 on the side of latkes.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:45 AM on March 2, 2015
posted by Room 641-A at 6:45 AM on March 2, 2015
Hamentaschen vs. Latkes.
Why choose?
Have Sephardic Oznaim Haman, FRIED COOKIES!
posted by Dreidl at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2015
Why choose?
Have Sephardic Oznaim Haman, FRIED COOKIES!
posted by Dreidl at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2015
Team Hamentaschen. Especially apricot hamentaschen.
Also, somebody please tell me this isn't a real thing.
posted by SisterHavana at 10:19 AM on March 2, 2015
Also, somebody please tell me this isn't a real thing.
posted by SisterHavana at 10:19 AM on March 2, 2015
Oh, SisterHavana, it is very real. The race to outdo the Rosenbergwitzsteinmans next door on mishloach manot is very important, otherwise Ruchel might not get a good shidduch.
posted by Sophie1 at 4:45 PM on March 2, 2015
posted by Sophie1 at 4:45 PM on March 2, 2015
I think Purim is such a fascinating holiday and the themes are actually very adult - capriciousness, exploitation, sexuality, manipulation, etc. (Apparently there's a plausible history for hamentaschen as ancient 'vulva cakes' related to fertility). It's very interesting how it has become bowdlerized for a kids holiday. I think a lot is lost.
Re: food - an exquisite hamentasch is something else, and may give a good latke a run for its money. But a mediocre latke is still awesome, while a mediocre hamentasch is just a boring cookie.
posted by Salamandrous at 4:06 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Re: food - an exquisite hamentasch is something else, and may give a good latke a run for its money. But a mediocre latke is still awesome, while a mediocre hamentasch is just a boring cookie.
posted by Salamandrous at 4:06 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I went as a tzdakkah (sp?) box one year. Cardboard box painted, with arm and head holes. I wore a half-disc shapped headpiece with eye holes covered in foil. Coin going into box.
My mom made awesome costumes.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:34 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
My mom made awesome costumes.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:34 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
Chag purim sameach, Jews of Metafilter!
posted by Sophie1 at 11:23 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Sophie1 at 11:23 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
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