It was last Purim exactly that we stepped into the Adath Purim Carnival with much excitement and a little worry. It was March and there was news of the first cases of COVID-19 arriving to the United States. The synagogue office received calls wondering if the carnival was still on. There was a carnival that day. It was fun. It was normal. It was packed, and it turned out to be the last hurrah before the closure of the building.
Throughout this year, Adath youth have been thrown into reinventing every single tradition, program and social interaction that have been second nature to synagogue youth for generations. They have been powering through the pandemic with creativity and poise and they reach out to us this Purim for support.
To our community,
This year our USY chapter has faced many challenges posed by COVID-19, similarly to many other organizations. Usually, around this time of year we all gather at the Synagogue to hear the Megillah read, followed by fun and games at the Purim carnival. Unfortunately, this year we won’t be attending the traditional Purim festivities, but we are still hoping to have a memorable Purim. Our youth department and USY chapter have been working diligently to put together our Purim fundraisers: Raffle Prizes, Mocktail Kits, the Purim CARnival, and Mishloach Manot, Your participation in these great fundraisers will help support the future of Adath USY tremendously!
We hope to see our youth department flourish so that teens can continue to have the opportunity to make lifelong memories and friendships, just as we did, for years to come.
We wish you a happy and healthy Purim,
Cole Segal and Jessica Paul, Adath USY Co-Presidents 2020/2021
Here’s how you can support Adath Jeshurun Youth
View Purim Raffle Prizes – View Purim CARnival Details
Adath Purim CARnival and Raffle are on Sunday, February 28, 11:45 am – 3 pm
Sue Shrell Leon, Adath Director of Youth Engagement, has been instrumental in helping these creative young people navigate this difficult year. “I am so proud of our teens due to their continuous commitment and energy in offering all kinds of ‘out-of-the-box’ regular youth department programming and being connected Jewishly! My mantra being ‘teens bring teens’ still is validated as our teens and teen leaders reach out – always!!!”
The Purim Carnival has traditionally been Adath youth department’s largest fundraiser of the year. This year, there are four enjoyable ways available to help youth reach their goal of raising a similar amount. So much work has gone in to pivot and to continue making Purim a fun, community-oriented holiday even in the strain of the pandemic.
To see all of Adath Jeshurun Congregation’s Purim festivities visit adathjeshurun.org/purim.
