My Purim Story

Purim Purim is a Jewish festival. It happens in the month of Adar. In Adar there is a special mitzvah to be happy. Purim can be a very fun festival!

Lots of Jewish festivals are about remembering our history. Purim celebrates the Jewish people being saved from the wicked Haman. Queen Esther and Mordechai are the heroes of the story.

People may dress up in costume on Purim. People may look a little different. I may dress up in a costume on Purim. It is fun to see everyone in their costumes!

School may be a little different on Purim. The children and teachers may be dressed up in costume. We may do some different activities. This is OK. We will have lots of fun celebrating Purim!

We might go to synagogue on Purim. Some of my friends also go to synagogue. There are also lots of other adults.

I may feel excited or worried at synagogue I may feel excited or worried at synagogue. It may be very loud on Purim. This is OK. I can do something to help me feel calm. I can play with a quiet toy, read a book or go for a walk. I can also fiddle or do something that helps me feel calm.

We read the story of Purim on a scroll called a Megillah. When people hear Haman’s name, they may boo or make a lot of noise. I can wear ear defenders to help with the noise or go to a quiet space for a break. We may hear the Megillah in the evening of Purim and again the next day.

Hamantashen is a special food we eat on Purim. It is triangle shaped like the shape of Haman’s hat. Trying new food is fun. I can try a little to see if I like the taste.

We give gifts of food to each other on Purim. This is called Mishloach Manot. I can say ‘thank you’ if someone gives me a gift on Purim.

On Purim we give charity to help other people. This is called Tzedukah. This is a kind thing to do!

Some people may have a big meal to celebrate Purim. This is called a Seudah. It may be very noisy and people may sing songs.

With thanks to the following for use of images Copyright Gateways: Access to Jewish Education. Reproduced with permission. Copyright Jewish Clipart Database - www.jewish-clipart.com Copyright Jewish Interactive - https://jitap.net/activities/ Brgfx - Freepik.com Bnei Torah Olympia