Sunset Thursday marks the end of Purim, the Jewish holiday that focuses on the defeat of Haman’s plot to persecute the Jewish people in the Biblical book of Esther.
Following the Texas A&M Hillel celebration of this holiday Wednesday night, Rohr Chabad Jewish Center will host the Jewish community Thursday night.
Manya Lazaroff, wife of the Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff at the Chabad Center, said the main message of Purim is that God is in everyday life.
“There’s times in our life when we see the hand of a higher being,” Yossi Lazaroff said. “And there are times that it’s less obvious.”
Associated with Purim are four “mitzvot,” or commandments — the reading of the “megillah,” or the Book of Esther, the giving gifts of food, the giving of money to those in need and a feast. Jews use “graggers,” or noisemakers, to drown out any mention of Haman’s name during the first mitzvah, when the megillah is read.
“We try to enable Aggies to participate… So they could be able to accomplish all four of our events if they haven’t been able to do it prior,” Yossi Lazaroff said.
With Reveille in attendance, Hillel celebrated by making “hamentaschen,” a triangular-shaped cookie meant to resemble Haman, holding a costume party and megillah reading Wednesday night.
The Hillel student board also conducted a “Purim Shpiel,” or play, to tell the Purim story. Veronica Beskin, Jewish student life coordinator at Hillel, said costumes are a large part of the holiday and in some ways resemble the American festival of Halloween.
At Chabad, a megillah reading took place Wednesday night and will occur again at noon Thursday in MSC 2403. A stadium-themed costume party and additional reading at Chabad is scheduled for 5:30 p.m Thursday.