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from page 75

Clockwise from above:

This "Horse" grogger for Purim makes quite a clamor. Crafted of anodized aluminum
with leather ears and bridle, it is an Avia Agayof design. From Tradition! Tradition!, Southfield.

At left, an oversized wooden Purim grogger, from Spitzers Hebrew Book eT Gift Center,
Southfield, dwarfi two primary colored wooden groggers, available at Spitzer's
and at Esthers Judaica and GifiWor14 West Bloomfield

This 'jester" grogger can stand on his own two feet. The "Lion" grogger is crafted
of anodized aluminum and designed by Avia Agayof of Jerusalem.
Both are available from Tradition! Tradition!

A traditional and regal wood and brass grogger with stand. From Tradition! Tradition!

On the cover: The rounded wooden grogger, with cleverly colored sections, right center,
is available from Tradition! Tradition! Purim masks provided by Esther Judaica er Gift World.

urim's most famous villain is notori
oUs for causing boisterous behavior.
In days gone by, the custom was
that when Haman's
name was men-
.
tioned during the reading of the Megillat
Esther, people would shout, "Cursed be
Haman" or "May the name of the wicked rot."
Today, every time Haman's name is men-
tioned, the congregation is expected to inter-
rupt the reading of the megilla with booing,
hissing and the twirling of a noise-producing
grogger. Tolerated only once each year, this
compendium of deafening sounds brings
delight t _ o children, although it is quite often
scarcely tolerated by their parents.
For centuries, groggers have helped capture
the spirit of the Purim story. Though groggers
are customarily rectangular shaped with a han-
dle that spins to make lots and lots of noise,
any type of noisemaker can be used: A car
horn, pair of cymbals or an electric guitar can
do the job. Groggers can be made from any
-•
noise-making contraptiotii such as a key ring
holding an excess of keys:
- -
Some share in the custom of writing
Haman's =name on their shoe soles and stomp-
ing their feet, while others have been known to
write his name on stones and bang them
together in order to obliterate Haman's name.
But despite the method employed on this most
gregarious of holidays, We all join together in one
common pursuit — finding the loudest noisemak-
er possible to take revenge on the evil Haman.
Artists, such as Avia Agayof of Jerusalem,
have invoked the age-old tradition by creating
groggers with unusual themes and rare materi-
als. Here is but a sampling.

Can Waldman i a West Bloomfield-based freelance writer.

