In just 24 hours, L’Chaim-Chabad managed to impressively coordinate tens of parties and hundreds of megillah readings to inspire and uplift thousand of Jews on the festival of Purim. Jews of every age and religious background throughout Greater Manchester were touched; from infants to seniors and everyone in between, there was a programme through which one could experience the joy of the holiday and find its relevance to one’s daily life.
“Purim is one of the most joyful days on our calendar,” says Rabbi Yisroel Cohen, Director of L’Chaim Chabad. “Our goal was to ensure everyone in the city truly appreciated that joy and infused that spirit into their lives.”
“It was incredible how they managed to reach everyone,” said Jacqueline K. “My toddler enjoyed baking traditional hamantashen at the Little Chefs programme, and there were 120 kids that joined the Purim extravaganza with an hilarious clown show, an animated accompaniment to the megillah recital and other fun activities.”
The Chabad Girls’ Club enjoyed a Japanese themed Purim bash, making hamantaschen shaped sushi and winning at a Japanese auction. Teen boys meanwhile rocked the night away with live music, great food and loads of dancing, all in a safe, nurturing environment.
While Purim celebrations are often geared towards children, Chabad’s adult education departments ensured a fun time was had by all, including their business and young professionals network. 150 gathered in the Manchester City Centre for a Purim Masquerade catered by Taam Grill and featuring renowned mentalist Quentin Reynolds.
In preparation for the holiday, thousands of guides and publications were distributed to the community, and during the holiday L’Chaim assisted hundreds in fulfilling the traditions of the day with prepared gifts of food, graggers and by distributing gifts to the needy.
One of the hallmarks of L’Chaim’s Purim events was accessible megillah readings. Homebound? They came to you, with dozens of volunteers visiting homes and businesses. Busy Schedule? There were megillah readings on the hour every hour at the Beis Menachem JCC. In all, there were upwards of 100 readings heard by more than 1,500 people. Even prisoners were treated to visits from Chabad volunteers who read the megillah and brought them a taste of Purim joy.
L’Chaim volunteers also made their way to 18 senior centres entertaining more than 350 of the city’s elderly. “We had an unprecedented number of participants,” said Rev Rosen of Heathlands Village. “And the celebrations were warm, positive and made an invaluable impact on our members.”
For children with special needs Purim is often far from joyous, but at Chabad’s specially designed event children were able to party with friends, have great fun with balloons, a clown show and many other tailor made fun and games. “We were made to feel comfortable and welcome, and our daughter had an absolute blast!” said Stella S.
Jews living in rural towns surrounding Manchester were also appreciative of L’Chaim’s Purim programmes. Volunteers panned out to these cities, brought Purim food and the Purim spirit to celebrate with the locals. “The kids really appreciated you guys schlepping all this way,” said Daniel F. of Rhyl, where 180 children and staff of the FZY camp enjoyed a L’Chaim run Purim bash.
In the true giving spirit of Purim, L’Chaim’s acclaimed food bank distributed food and clothing to many of the city’s needy families, as well as helping with housing payments and social and humanitarian counseling services.
There was barely a Jew in Manchester who was not in some way touched by L’Chaim-Chabad’s Purim programmes, thanks to the army of volunteers who mobilized throughout the festival, and the support of generous donors from the community. Said Rabbi Cohen, “As followers and representatives of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, we are proud to fulfil his mission of reaching out to each and every Jew with love and compassion, paving the way for the imminent redemption.”
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