"Our merriment augment up
when the Adar comes"
Talmud

It is because one of the most cheerful Jewish holiday Purim comes with Adar. Researchers assert that the book Ester describing the Purim's events and is read during this time was included to the Jewish canonical books only three or four thousand years later after  describing events had happened. The story about Purim that has still warmed soul of everyone was being retelled with the greatest pleasure from year to year for it was one of the popular and favourite holiday. People did not give it to pass away. In spite of the fact that this story tells us that had happened only with the Jews who had lived in a separate empire and it has not been a single instance of narrow escape Jews people for last four century it presents in full measure dreams of any downtrodden national culture. And we know that the point is not only in a release from omnicide but also because the guiltiness were punished. As a result, to general happiness rabbis have canonized the book Ester and legalized Purim for ever.

As well, the general happiness was observed in Lviv on March 21 in the concert and dance hall "Romantic" where more than 650 people including participants of action gathered together  to celebrate Purim.

Huge concert hall "Romantic" was been adorned by employees of the All-Ukrainian Charitable Foundation “Hesed-Arieh“, members of the Congreation for Progressive Judaism "Tejva" and students from the student club "Gilel".  With a help of fancy dresses, bridge masks, air-balls and marvelous bows used as hall adornments they managed to create an amazing festive mood.

Coming at the concert hall spectators dipped into the holiday atmosphere. Everywhere was heard a music, curators and volunteers entertained participants with hamentashs and wine without which Purim can not be celebrated.

Nearly the participants from art-studio "Metamorphosis" handed out different carnival props to audience. Among it were lady's hats, bonnets, masks and fool's caps.

Our "visagistes" helped them very much. They covered guest's faces with funny drawings in the form of stars, hearts as if it was a magic transformation.

At the same time, during the holiday children had opportunity to compete in spreading of Purim's puzzles. Children who copped with a task first received as presents different toys and other had the consolation prizes in form of merry clowns drawn by participants from the programs of Hesed-Arieh "Family club" and "Day center". Adult guests could check their vocabulary.  They had to devise as much as possible various words using the letters from name Mordehaj. Wiseacres who had written more than 40 words received the collected stories named "Secrets of Jewish sages".

Any Amane be afraid the shoutings had prepared by our Children. They were waiting for visitors in the hall and opened the concert beating the drum to help guests to get the mood required for holiday evening.

But it is 17.00 p.m. the call-sign is sounding and one of the most cheerful Jewish holiday is starting too. The celebration began with a common dance. It was a real inaugural ball. Children and their parents were dancing together with grandmothers and grandfathers and it made them feel themselves as holders of the ball.  The best were trim dressed children from the kindergarten "Ken Eladim" who were singing, reciting poems and jumping.  At the same time special attention of the audience attracted as well participants of theater "Debut" who showed lively and mischievous Purimshpil and audience's favourite "Varnichkes" with its holiday repertoire.

But the main interest of the holiday was the dancing marathon where seven dancing teams took part in. Five of which were from Lviv and two came from Drogobuch and Chernovcu.

Each performer and dancing team which were showing the dancing skills in the marathon had a personal number and audience had to choose the best one. After the jury had gone to count marathons's result, members of different Lviv Jewish organizations among which were students from club "Gilel", members of culture society of Shalom Aleichem came to the dancing hall to participate in the choreographic casting named "King Ahashverosh is choosing a bride". Supporting by applause of audience they coped with a task without any words using only the tongue of dance and so each team was given a prize. Later, after the jury members had read out the ballot we got to know the winner and name of each team taken part in the dancing marathon. Thus, Elena Pushinska from Lviv was found as the best dancer and dancing team "Nigun" from Chernovc become the winner among teams.

Director of the "Hesed-Arie" with a great pleasure rewarded the winners and thanked all groups for participation and for showing new interesting dances, after that she invited on the scene a singer from Israel - Vladi Blaiberg. That was not only a big surprise to the audience but also a fine end of our concert.

The holiday Purim was very interesting in our "Sunday school" too.

A week before the holiday teachers had conducted a lesson of history and traditions of  celebrating Purim. After that children with their parents began to make the fancy dresses and decorations for concert room.

At the definite time rabbi of the Congreation for Progressive Judaism "Tejva" S.Fajnerman said a blessing and teacher of music V. Ogorodnicov lighted the candles.  Presenting heard again the story about holiday Purim. At the time of rabbi Siva was reading the Magilat Ester, children with adults were clapping merrily there hands at the mention of names Ester and Mordehaj and made desperately clap with rattles at the name Amar. After that the concert started. Children were declaiming and singing song in Hebrew. As well there was a Purim performance showed by children in Hebrew. Each kid was dressed in a fancy dress that made them happy and cheerful more than usual. As soon as children started to dance adults and teachers joined to them. At the end of the celebration rabbi Siva conducted a quiz about Purim. And people answered him all together. Kids got as presents hamentashs (special thanks for that to the leaders of Hesed). All together they said the blessing.

But in Hesed's children programs ("Mazltov", "Ken-Eladim", "Lev") Purim's holiday had started more early on Monday.  This year all children programs have been united to celebrate the Purim and began to prepare for it in January. We had planned to collect more than 200 guests to our great children holiday. Thus, together with group "Lev" we began to write our own interactive scenario of the holiday performance which included a dramatic part basing on roll Ester and competitions suitable for children of different age.  Within a month while kids from "Ken Eladim" were learning verses older children rehearsed absorbing deeply in the history of Jewish people. Even the smallest kids made costumes to appear on stage not as assister but as full members of future performance.

So the remarkable holiday came .We started our performance letting our worry behind the stage. The best dancers were given a prize omentash. At the same time the lovers  of art were working in the art-studio making the picture.The smallest kids ride a toy horse.

And next day they took part in real adult celebration. I think that Purim was successful.