By COLlive reporter
Typically, American Friends of Lubavitch in Washington, DC, organizes a plethora of celebrations in honor of Purim starting from Capitol Hill and the White House to Israel’s Embassy and on college campuses.
This year, despite Purim falling out on a Sunday and in the midst of spring break, over 1,000 Jews of all ages and backgrounds celebrated the holiday in the nation’s capital.
Festivities began with over 600 joining the “Great Washington, DC Purim Celebration”, complete with a live Jazz style band playing Chabad music and many lively Purim tunes, a “Roaring 20’s” costume theme.
A round-trip ticket to Israel was raffled off with the winner being Ilana Weltman, an administrator at The George Washington University and Board member of Chabad Young Professionals – Washington, DC.
“Sushi Master Johnny” and his team started creating sushi from scratch at the conclusion of Shabbos and still managed thousands of fresh pieces of sushi for the party.
Crowds thronged to TheSHUL at the (Chabad) Lubavitch Center of Washington, DC, led by senior Washington Shluchim Rabbi Levi and Nechama Shemtov, and located near Dupont Circle in prestigious Embassy Row-Kalorama.
This neighborhood was recently in the news for its new prominent residents, including former President Barack and Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
Among those attending the Purim celebration were many Jewish Washington types – White House officials, Congressional staffers, diplomats, young professionals and students who were in town despite Spring Break.
On Sunday, there were numerous megillah readings and Purim activities across the city, in addition to those the night before, organized by Rabbis Menachem Shemtov and Mendy Schapiro.
After a morning minyan came “Purim with Meaning” – a delicious brunch for Young Professionals, who then fanned out to distribute Mishloach Manos and special paintings they made to Holocaust survivors, Seniors, and adults with special needs.
A very well-attended children’s Purim Carnival was followed by a grand Purim Seudah and farbrengen, both organized by shluchim Rabbi Shua and Esti Hecht of Chabad of the AU Community.
Ve’hair Washington Tzahahlah Vesameicha…
