Ming the strings

The program was billed as a puppet show, but there were no whimsical footless dolls to be
slipped over anyone's hands. Instead, the audience watched as elaborate, delicate-featured, pro-
portioned figurines in full-costume, down to their tiny shoes, moved gracefully by invisible wires
on a small, elaborately set stage. Interacting with three human members of the PuppetArt
Detroit Puppet Theater, who danced in colorful veiled headdresses, together they told the story
of Purim.
Joining a room filled with children from the Jimmy Prentis Morris Building of the Oak Park
JCC nursery school and babysitting program, were four classes of adult students from the
Ferndale school district's English as a Second Language program. Most in the ESL group are
from the former Soviet Union, and were studying in the next room over from the performance
when they heard about the holiday show...they wan-
dered over during a break in their class to watch.
What could have been a lesson in learning
English by listening to others, for at least one mem-
ber of the audience was a lesson in incentive.
Student Adle Shleypak announced her surprise
upon hearing that the names of the performers were
Natasha and Ludmila. When told that, yes, they
were really Russian-born, Shleypak asked, "How
come they speak English so well?" She then joined
her group and promptly returned to class.P1

Above: Natasha Khusicl and Irena Baranovskaya tell the
stag of Purim with help from a marionette king and queen.

Above right: Robert Schreiber, 1'/2, shows his delight
while watching the puppet show.

Uh:Iilt .1

fitit 7101Se;

Imagine that you are a stranger to our religion, an observer to our traditions
and our laws. Now picture yourself in the Bais Chabad of North Oak
Park/FREE "synagogue." Its Monday evening and there is a service going on.
A usually barren meeting room at the Oak Park JCC has become a tem-
porary sanctuary complete with a wooden and lace partition dividing the
women's seats from the men's. You are told the group is observing the corn-
mandment of listening to every word of a special reading for the holiday.
Except for the leader, you could hear a pin drop. A separate service is being
conducted elsewhere for the very young children, so as not to disturb the
co _ ncentration of the adult congregation.
You are thinking, This is easy. This religion doesn't have such a hard set
of rules to understand. But wait. Suddenly, the reader says the name
"Haman" and the crowd goes wild, twisting metal noisemakers and honk-
ing horns and booing. It is explained that the clamor is in response to
hearing the name of a wicked man in Jewish history.
As you settle back into your seat, you are aware that many of the men have beards
and are wearing black suits with long jackets. Many wear black hats, but there's one
who wears a different sort. It's mostly black, but with white diamond-shapes through-
out and bells hanging off the corners. What is this court jester doing in a synagogue?
And what about the group leader? He has on a mask that is 30 inches wide, with the
faces of Larry and Curly and a space for his own in the middle. He is the Three Stooges!
When the reading ends, so does the quiet. The children's group joins the adults,
and refreshments are served. Musicians appear. The three-headed man is dancing
with a large cow, which is joined by a smaller cow.
You wonder, What is going on? "It's Purim," answers another guest — too hard to
explain.
"What are you doing on Saturday? Maybe you could join us then. Shabbat is
much easier to understand." Fl

Above:
Moshe Pershin has
some fiat with
a sparkler at the
post-megillah-read-
ing Purim party.

Left: Sharing in
the fun were cos-
tumed quests of all
ages.

3/5
1999

Detroit Jewish News

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