24 | FEBRUARY 11 • 2021 

T

his Purim, the Conservative 
Jewish community in Metro 
Detroit is reassuring its com-
munity that on Zoom, as the Purim 
song goes, “we’ll merry merry be.
” 
Marking the one-year anniversary 
and noting that Purim was the last 
Jewish holiday that most Jews cel-
ebrated together in the synagogue, 
Conservative congregations will com-
bine their efforts to celebrate Purim 
virtually through a variety of program-
ming over Zoom. Also, there will be 
opportunities for Jews to enjoy tradi-
tions such as mishloach manot (goody 
baskets given to friends) and collecting 
and delivering food for the needy 
through socially distanced means.
Kicking off the night of Feb. 25, 
there will be a family musical Megillah 
party at 6:30 p.m. and, in a separate 
Zoom at 6:45 p.m., a full Megillah 
reading chanted by various members 
of participating synagogues. To con-
tinue the merriment, Israeli comedian 
Joel Chasnoff will entertain following 
the Megillah.
At 7:30 a.m. Feb. 26 there will be a 

traditional morning reading. All virtu-
al events are free and open to the com-
munity and registration can be found 
at www.conservativeshuls.org. 
In past years, congregations in West 
Bloomfield and Farmington Hills 
would gather on Purim for evening 
and morning Megillah readings and 
celebrations, while congregations like 
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Beth 
Shalom in Oak Park and the Isaac 
Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue 
would have their own readings and 
festivities. Because of the way religious 
services have evolved virtually in this 
year of the pandemic, leaders across 
the Conservative Jewish community 
decided to join forces for one coordi-
nated celebration, according to Linda 
Jacobson of B’nai Israel Synagogue in 
West Bloomfield. 
“The silver lining of the pandemic is 
that congregations are working more 
closely together to combine efforts,
” 
said Jacobson, who for years has been 
on the Purim planning committee for 
the Conservative community. “Efforts 
from this time will extend beyond the 

Conservative shuls unite to 
provide virtual Purim festivities.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Conservative shuls unite to 

provide virtual Purim festivities.

theJoy!
Stopping
No

COURTESY BETH AHM
COURTESY SHIR SHALOM
COURTESY OF TEMPLE ISRAEL

The cast of Temple 
Israel’s 2020 shpiel, 
“A Very Frozen Purim”

Ruth Bergman 
and Adat 
Shalom Rabbi 
Aaron Bergman 
at a previous 
Conservative 
Purim celebration 
at Beth Ahm

“The silver lining of the pandemic is 

Shir Shalom 
congregants 
get into Purim 
in a prior year.

OUR COMMUNITY

