Almost all of us grew up with the story of Purim; the characters, the costumes, the delicious baskets of food. At Torah High, we bring all that into the classroom and more!
Almost all of us grew up with the story of Purim; the characters, the costumes, the delicious baskets of food. At Torah High, we bring all that into the classroom and more!
Torah High inspires teens to relate to Jewish holidays positively and to engage in challenging and valuable learning experiences that take them beyond the mere superficial. During Purim, teens are challenged to consider what lies beyond the “mask” of life?
To explore that question, the teens were asked to consider, Was the miracle of Purim just a series of coincidences, or was more going on? Was something else pulling the strings in the story of Purim? What is a miracle anyway?
what is a miracle anyway?
Looking at nature as being more than a series of random occurrences is highlighted in the story of Purim. How many times is God mentioned in the story of Esther? Zero! That is astonishing considering that we celebrate the story of Purim as a miracle, one where God saved the Jewish people from the destructive genocidal plans of Haman.
While God is not explicitly mentioned in the Purim story, the sheer volume of events that happened at just the right moment to just the right people reveals God’s sleight of hand, driving the story forward to its ultimate happy conclusion.
That is why the role of masks and costuming play such a prominent role in Purim. They highlight the importance of the dual aspects of reality—what lies in plain sight and what lies beneath—a higher power that lends meaning, value, and purpose to life.
Torah High teens are encouraged to consider how they want to bring personal meaning and purpose to their lives. That can take any shape that meets with the particular aspirations and desires of our teens. The teens also prepare mishloach manot (Purim baskets) before the holiday in keeping with the message that we are here to give to others.
Beyond Purim, Torah High teens engage in a number social welfare activities to better the lives of others less fortunate: one of our most popular programs is Live2Give Girls where teens lend their time and energy to a social cause that is important to them. Last year alone, Live2Give Girls raised thousands of dollars for the charity of their choice and recently returned home from a week-long trip to New York City where they sewed blankets for the homeless.
Let’s celebrate Purim and the joy in giving to others! Purim Sameach!
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