News
February 26, 2018March 4: Purim at Schenectady JCC
Afternoon carnival for the entire family; evening storytelling and book signing with storyteller Sandy Schuman
As part of its Celebration Series, Schenectady JCC will be hosting its Purim festivities on Sunday afternoon, March 4 at the Robert and Dorothy Ludwig Schenectady JCC on the Golub Family Campus at 2565 Balltown Road in Niskayuna with an afternoon carnival, open to everyone, and an evening storytelling and book signing with Capital Region favorite Sandy Schuman.
Purim is a joyous holiday that honors the Book of Esther, the story of a woman who becomes queen of Persia and prevents the genocide of her people. In commemoration of the biblical story, the celebration has turned into a day of fun, costumes, games and sweet treats including a triangle, filled cookie called hamentashen, named for and inspired by the shape of the villain’s hat in the original story.
The Purim Carnival (2:00 – 4:00 pm) will feature carnival games, bouncy bounce, a “pie-toss,” a photo booth, coloring pages, arts and crafts, and more. Also, there will be story telling with the PJ Library Purim Special with Amy Drucker from the Jewish Federation of NENY. Refreshment (popcorn, hamentashen, water, and juices) and game tickets will be for sale, but may be earned if participants wear a costume, bring non-perishable foods for donation or a bag of empty recyclable/redeemable bottles or cans.
In the evening at 7:00 pm, storyteller Sandy Schuman will read from his book, a collection of Jewish folk stories, Adirondack Mendel’s Aufruf: Welcome to Chelm’s Pond, where attendees will meet characters such as Bloomie who couldn’t find the hole in a bagel and Adirondack Mendel who tells the truth, even if he has to lie to do it. Following the reading, Schuman will perform songs and stories about the songwriters who wrote them from the Great American Songbook. Familiar Songs and their Unfamiliar Stories will include Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning, I Got Rhythm, Get Happy, Brother Can You Spare a Dime, It Ain’t Necessarily So, God Bless America, Over the Rainbow, The Midnight Special, This Land is Your Land, Goodnight Irene, and more.
Capital Region favorite Sandy Schuman is a musician and tells stories about songs and songwriters, personal adventures, historical sagas, and folk tales – all in the Jewish storytelling tradition. With personal, historical, and fantastical stories, Schuman has captivated and moved audiences at storytelling festivals, professional conferences, interfaith events, churches and synagogues.
Copies of Welcome to Chelm’s Pond will be available for sale and there is a minimal suggested donation for the evening program; pre-registration is appreciated.
Purim at Schenectady JCC is part of the Celebration Series and is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York. This program was made possible through the generous support of the JCC’s friends of the Arts, Epstein Jewish Cultural Fund, Meyer & Mary Kurland/Gebell Fund, and the Jonas and Edith Fleminberg Jewish Cultural Fund.
For more information and to register, contact Judy Ben-Ami at 518-377-8803 or judyb@schenectadyjcc.org
