38 | MARCH 21 • 2024
The
Whole
Megillah
Getting ready for Purim.
KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
JUST FOR KIDS
H
enry Stern’s getting ready
for Purim. On the holiday
itself, which starts in the
evening of March 23, the 13-year-
old will give mishloach manot,
gifts of food, hear the Megillah, the
story of Purim, have a festive meal
and give tzedakah. Those are the
main mitzvot of the holiday, says
Stern, which is sure to bring peo-
ple together, especially this year.
“I think Purim is a lot about
bravery because of Esther, and
how she was brave and how
she saved the Jewish people in
Persia,” says Henry, who lives in
West Bloomfield with his family. “It
will strengthen the community and
bring people together. People are
looking for a time to come togeth-
er with the Jewish community and
celebrate something. It’s a nice
time and it’s a break from what’s
happening.”
His family goes to the Bais
Chabad West Bloomfield’s Purim
party, and sometimes even has a
party at their house, he says, which
one year included a play they
wrote and performed with friends.
One thing he likes about the hol-
iday, Henry says, is its emphasis on
making other people joyous. “It’s
not just that you have to be joyous
and celebrate, but that you have to
make others joyous and help them
celebrate,” he says. “I think it’s a
nice value to make other people
happy.”
Every year he has a differ-
ent costume, he says. “I like
dressing up. I like seeing other
people’s costumes, it’s fun.” His
all-time favorite costume is King
Achashverosh, he says, adding
that he’s mulling a doctor costume
for this year’s holiday.
His brother Isaac, 8, says he
likes baking hamantashen with
his mom and brothers, getting
dressed up for the holiday and
going to Purim parties. “I like hear-
ing the Megillah,” he says, adding
that the grogger (noisemaker) is
his favorite part.
He says he wants other kids to
know it’s a happy holiday, which
shares the lesson that “God is
everywhere, and always with
the Jewish people.”
Their family drives around
handing out mishloach
manot to friends and neigh-
bors, says Leo Stern, 10. “I
like it because it’s a nice
thing to do,” says Leo, add-
ing they include hamantash-
en, fruits and candy.
This holiday, he’s planning to
dress up as a king, like he does
most years, “because he was an
important part of the Purim story,
and it’s fun to do.” He’ll head to a
Purim party to hear the Megillah
and eat hamantashen — his favor-
ite hamantash flavor is Nutella, like
his brothers, he says.
He adds that he expects to find
more togetherness in this Purim’s
activities because of what’s hap-
pening in Israel. “People are help-
ing each other out more since Oct.
7,” he explains. “It’s going to be a
more united Purim; everybody’s
going to be united and helping
each other out.”
Isaac, Leo and
Henry Stern
Stern
brothers
dressed up
for Purim.