MARCH 21 • 2024 | 39
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Purim comes around every year, but in some 
ways feels more relevant this year because we 
are facing a time of antisemitism, says Ayala 
Kohn, director of education at Aish Detroit. 
Kids can relate to the heroism of Esther in 
the sense that the king chose her, and she 
stepped up for her people, she says. 
 “A lot of us are trying our best to step up for 
those who feel less safe,” Kohn says. “It’s like 
how history repeats itself, we’re a little bit living 
some of that Purim story.”
A holiday theme is connecting with your true 
self, she says. “It’s an important year to cele-
brate because we’re celebrating that we’re still 
here in the face of adversity, and we’re holding 
onto our traditions.” Those traditions then get 
passed on to the next generation, she says, 
adding that one important lesson of Purim is to 
be proud of who you are. “Esther stood proud 
of who she was and her values.”
They’re having a superhero-themed Purim 
event on March 24, she says, adding that this 
Purim, kids can take the opportunity to share 
the spirit of the holiday, the idea of giving and 
sharing with others. “Look for opportunities to 
make others smile,” she says. “That’s the kind 
of joy we want to share this Purim, that way of 
sharing joy with others.”
Looking for more Purim celebrations near 
you? Ask your parents to take a look around 
town for more events coming up in honor of 
the holiday. Here’s one more to get you start-
ed: 
Dor Hadash is having a Purim party at the 
Downtown Synagogue, which is a collabo-
ration between Downtown Synagogue and 
Congregation T’chiyah. They’ll have arts and 
crafts, spoon racing, a beanbag toss and 
more. There will be prizes and hamantashen, 
along with a costume parade. “It’s a fun hol-
iday to celebrate with families and with your 
community,” says Heather Gale, director of 
Dor Hadash. “It’s a noisy holiday!” 

HAMAN-KNISHES
HAMAN-KNISHES

Ready to mix it up a little? 
Try making these haman-knishes.

You’ll need:
1 package puff pastry sheets 
1 package instant mashed potato mix in 
 the flavor of your choice 
1 egg

Here’s what to do: 
1. Defrost and spread out puff pastry sheets. 
2. Use a round cookie cutter, or the top of a drinking 
glass to cut as many circles as possible out of each 
sheet of puff pastry. 
3. Make mashed potato mix according to the package. 
4. Put one spoonful of mashed potato mix at the center
of each circle, and fold in edges to make a triangle. 
5. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk. 
6. Brush egg over the prepared triangles.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes 
till they are golden brown. Enjoy! 

Recipe courtesy of Ayala Kohn, director of education, Aish Detroit

The
Heroism
of Esther