Not falling into the Purim trap.
Purim on a college campus is a complicated thing. It is very easy to fall into the trap of focusing solely on the party aspects of Purim – that of the mitzvah to ‘drink until one cannot tell the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai. But I would be willing to bet that most college students focus on that particular mitzvah on a regular basis. But what is our responsibility as a Jewish organization growing the future leaders of our community? As our colleague, Seth Winberg, the Executive Director of Brandeis Hillel pointed out recently in his article for the Forward, “Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb, a past head of the Orthodox Union, was outspoken about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption in this context. About a century earlier, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, known as the Chafetz Chaim, summarized centuries of rabbinic opinion: “We are not commanded to get drunk,” especially if it will lead to inappropriate behavior or interfere with other obligations.
As the parent of 3 young Jewish children who love Purim, I’m often finding myself explaining the differences between Halloween and Purim to our non-Jewish neighbors. I always love this question because it gives me the opportunity to frame Purim as a holiday of giving back and not just receiving (unlike Halloween, which is all about that candy grab) and it’s this giving back that we choose to focus on at Hillel at Miami. Purim asks us to spread joy and bring our community, both Jewish and otherwise, together through the giving of mishloach manot (sending of portions). This mitzvah of giving mishloach manot derives from the Book of Esther. It is meant to ensure that everyone has enough food for the Purim feast held later in the day, and to increase love and friendship among Jews and their neighbors. How amazing is that? What an opportunity for us as a campus organization to grow pride within our Jewish students and to strengthen relationships between other communities in Oxford and beyond! I love that my faith and culture commands me to build thoughtful communities through love and the giving of gifts of food. HIllel’s annual Purim carnival this year was the embodiment of this mitzvah. Our team sets up a Purim carnival right in the middle of Uptown Park, in the heart of downtown Oxford. Our Jewish pride was on full display for all to see and experience. We had hamantaschen galore, Purim mask decorating, a photo booth, games, face painting, and more. Can you imagine, as a Jewish student at Miami, walking down Main street and stumbling upon such an open display of Jewish pride? It’s so rare and I’m honored to have been a part of it.
Shabbat Shalom.
