About Purim
Purim is a favorite Jewish holiday for feminists, young people, queer folks, and party animals of all stripes. Purim's narrative, the Book of Esther (aka the megillah), tells a tale of a foolish king, a woman refusing to dance naked for all the king's men, a beauty pageant, a secret revealed, and a time of tables-turning on the bad-guy known as Haman (may his name be blotted out)! The holiday calls for noisemaking, rule-breaking, binary-blurring and an end to business as usual. All of those elements come together in a traditional folk play called a Purimshpil.
For almost 20 years (up until the Covid-19 pandemic), our legendary annual Purimshpil, produced in collaboration with the Aftselakhis Spectacle Committee and Great Small Works, entertained, and inspired over a thousand people who sang and danced in celebration of Jews and our legacies of resistance to injustice. Scores of artists, activists and volunteers create and performed the shpil — building sets, sewing costumes, and writing scripts. In addition, we host family events — a children’s art party and parade, or a raucous, joy-filled Kids Defend NYC Children’s Purim Carnival.
