Chabad of the Rivertowns Purim Celebration
Sports Circus Theme

By Stephen E. Lipken

“Purim in the Circus is Chabad of the Rivertowns creative twist to this year’s community celebration of Purim, the Jewish people’s salvation in Persia of old,” according to Chabad of the Rivertowns Rabbi Benjy Silverman (rabbi@chabadrt.org).

“Billed as the most joyous date on the Jewish calendar, the daylong holiday commemorates the nullification in 356 B.C.E. of a Persian decree calling for the extermination of the Jewish people throughout the Persian Empire…,” Silverman continued.

Chabad of the Rivertowns, 303 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, presents “Purim in the Circus” on Thursday, March 17, 2022, featuring the famed Acrobats of Cirque-tacular, a thrilling aerial and ground acrobatic show, plus Megillah reading with multi-media presentation, Hamantashen and groggers (noisemakers). Due to COVID there will be two separate shifts, 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

There will be a Purim Dinner on March 17 at 7:45 p.m.; RSVP a must at www.chabad.org/purim22, with limited space due to COVID, preceded by a Megillah reading on Wednesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m., followed by cocktails and light refreshments. For further information, go to www.chabadrt.org; 914-693-6100. 

The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. It begins this year after sundown on March 16 and ends at nightfall on March 17.  It is observed by public readings of the Megillah to recount the story of the Purim miracle, sending food gifts to friends, giving money to the poor and enjoying a festive Purim meal.

Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, movement, and an organization. The word “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for the three faculties of chachmah: wisdom; Binah, comprehension and da’at, knowledge. “Lubavitch” is the name of a town in White Russia, where the movement was based.  Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means, “city of brotherly love.”