Purim 2025

Purim this year was Thursday night and Friday day, which led to the rather unusual "Purim Meshulash", which doesn't mean a lot to most people, unless you live near a walled city, like: JERUSALEM (of which we are a suburb). As the OU Orthodox Union says: "some of the mitzvos of Purim cannot be fulfilled on Shabbos, and they are observed instead on Friday and Sunday. In such instances, Purim in Yerushalayim spans three days, and that is why it is called Purim Meshulash (the three day Purim)". The next Purim Meshulash won't be for 20 years (!)

We in the burbs (like most people around the world) had the unusual situation of having our Purim seduah meal and ASAP after getting ready for Shabbos. Large numbers of Jerusalemites came to our city on Thursday/Friday and vice versa on Sunday. Ilana came with four friends on Friday morning and then went back to spend Shabbat in Jersualem. (I will just say that it was blissfully boring being here on Sunday and the lack of traffic was fabulous!)

It was lovely to host Menashe's family for the festive meal 

Iosi is in the middle, in the Pink Panther costume. We were a very colorful crowd!

and fun to dress up

Percy as a very tired cowboy with sparkly hat and bandana

This year's Mishloach Manot gift packages were, sadly, very similar to last year:

"A donation has been made in your honor to the Kedma Support for Army Families Initiative. These funds are used to buy gift cards to restaurants that are then given to army wives and kids--thereby supporting both milium families and Israeli small businesses. As an added level of support, your donation will also provide both recreational and therapeutic programs for milium kids"

And a list of current hostages and their names to daven for 

Can't believe that we've just had our second Purim at war (preceded by the second Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat, sigh sigh sigh)