Singing in the shelter: Jerusalem families find light during siege

Israel’s Iron Dome system uses radar to catch and destroy rocket and artillery shells before they can reach their civilian and military targets.

There were about a dozen people in the shelter, and space was limited, but the teenage girls used a speaker to amplify lively Hebrew songs and were singing and dancing with the younger kids.

Then our entire group — with the exception of a one-week old baby — began singing “You Are My Sunshine.”

This was Purim in the midst of war.

About the holiday

Here’s how PJ Library, the terrific project that regularly delivers free Jewish-themed books to children around the world, explains the holiday:

“On Purim, we celebrate the bravery of Queen Esther, a very smart Jewish woman who was married to a king. When Esther learned that Haman, who worked for the king, was plotting against the Jews, she summoned the courage to tell the king and saved her people.”

Interestingly, the story, which can be found in the biblical Book of Esther, takes place in Persia, modern day Iran. Purim has been celebrated around the world for more than 2,400 years.

It’s a joyous and greatly anticipated festival. In Israel the schools are closed, there are lots of parties, meals with families and friends, costumed revelers filling the streets. It’s the only time it’s suggested that Jews drink until they’re tipsy.

In some circles, especially for Americans, characters from the Book of Esther are transformed into spoofs of popular musicals and movies. Think parodies of “The Lion King,” “Harry Potter,” “Hamilton.

Shifting gears

But in the midst of a lock-down and prohibitions against gathering in large crowds as well as intermittent blaring sirens and trips to our shelter, I certainly hadn’t expected much in the way of Purim.

I was wrong.

All of the customary traditions were creatively adapted to current circumstances.

For example, one of the holiday requirements is to hear the Book of Esther read aloud from a handwritten parchment scroll. Typically done at synagogues with large groups of people, instead folks were invited to private homes where they could still hear the story and “boo” the villain, Haman, when his name was read.

A lovely Purim tradition is the delivering of small goodie bags or boxes of home-baked treats and snacks to family and friends. It’s also traditional to give money to the needy. This year, the tradition was still carried out, just much more quickly and in more limited areas. The deliveries were frequently interrupted by sirens and a dash to the nearest bomb shelter.

Throughout the day there were knocks at our door with costumed neighbors, friends and family dropping off the treats. Two of the three bears in the “Goldilocks” fairy tale showed up, so did a Mondrian painting.

My great nieces baked “hamantashen” to include in the family’s gift bags. The yummy triangular cookie is thought to symbolize Haman’s hat, pocket or ears and is typically filled with poppy seeds, fruit jams and chocolate.

On the day before Purim, when schoolchildren traditionally mark the holiday with classmates at school, parents quickly organized a party in our courtyard, with games, treats and music.

Purim has always been known as an “upside down” holiday because the story involves a reversal of fortune. In Israel this year, exhausted and sleep-deprived families have attempted to turn their fear and worry “upside down” to create joyful memories for themselves and their loved ones.

Meredith Moss is a Lifestyles writer for the Dayton Daily News currently visiting family in Israel. She arrived before the beginning of Operation Epic Fury.