The Blog

As usual, this blog is running a little (or a lot, actually) behind the actual pace of events these days.  I can only apologize, and refer to my favorite blogging adage, “It’s more important to live life than to blog about living it.”

With that said, we present to you here some pictures from our Purim celebration (only two months ago) at our home congregation, Messianic House of Prayer.  Purim is the traditional Jewish holiday celebrating the events of the Biblical Book of Esther (see especially Esther 9:20-32).  It is traditional to celebrate by dressing in costumes as various characters from the book of Esther, and we are happy to continue the tradition.  (The age range at our house this last Purim was roughly four to seventy; age is no limit to enjoying this holiday, despite - or perhaps because of - its “dressing up” component!)

So we thought you’d enjoy seeing some pictures of the creative costumes people wore to our house this most recent Purim.  But remember, these are just costumes, and this is not how we normally dress.  (And despite this disclaimer, real names are not given, to protect the guility - er, um, innocent.)

“We three queens.”  A proliferation of Queen Esthers!

Haman with a western flair.

“Shmuel Rosenburg,” the king’s personal investment banker.

The baker at Queen Esther’s kosher bakery.

“Polly Esther,” the seamstress.

For the past several years, Dumberton Oaks (the name is an inside joke - maybe someday we’ll explain it here) has made an appearance as the Shushan shoe-shine.  This year, he received a promotion in the shoe shine industry - to union rep!  (Where’s Dumberton in the Bible, you ask?  Esther 1:5 - check it out!)

The king’s musician.

The king himself!

A flower in the palace garden.  (We have chapter and verse for the garden, if not the flower itself - see Esther 1:5, 7:7-8.)

Pointahn Kleick, the royal photographer.

Aridai, one of Haman’s sons.  He’s dressed for a formal occasion, necktie and all.  (Yes, that is a noose - see Esther 9:7-8.)

And what would Purim be without a game of round-the-world ping pong in costume?