Purim Warms Up Siberia

The freezing weather on Purim didn’t stop the Jews of Irkutsk, Siberia from celebrating Purim with excitement and joy.

On Motzei Shabbat, over 150 people gathered to hear the reading of the Megillah. The highlight of the evening was the Purim play contest, in which anyone who wished could participate. Over 10 groups participated aged from 7 – 87. The three winners were selected by a judges that were appointed by the crowd.

The Purim day festivities began with a Purim program for the Sunday school children. They participated in different competitions and won prizes for the most original Purim costumes.

For the Purim day Megillah reading, the community organized a unique multi-cultural friendship concert. The community invited the Burayti Community Center, Polish Community Center and the Chechniyan-Ingushan Community Center. Each ethnic group arrived with their national costumes, song and dances. The concert began with a performance by the golden age choir “Esther”, followed by singing and poetry recital by the Jewish Community’s Sunday School children.

During the two hour concert, the community heard the reading of the megillah and were entertained by the different ethnic groups. The concert that was attended by over 250 people, was enjoyed by all, and requests are being put in for an encore performance next year. The event was attended by officials from the local administration and by the vice consulate of Poland. All the cultural centers received framed thank you certificates from the Jewish Community.