This year, we’re trying something a little different for Purim.

Purim is one of the most serious days on the Jewish calendar, just disguised as a party. God’s name is hidden, identities blur, heroes and villains trade places, and the world turns upside down. V’nahafoch hu.

Our mystical tradition plays with the name itself. Yom HaKippurim literally means, “The Day Like Purim.” This pun suggests a similarity: on one day we reach holiness through fasting and white clothes; the other through costumes, an elaborate feast, and joy. Different paths, but same spiritual potential.

So this year, we’re leaning into that holy inversion with a theme: Heroes & Villains.

Costumes aren’t an extra—they’re part of the spiritual work of Purim. They help us loosen certainty, play with identity, and experience transformation in ways the rest of the year doesn’t allow.

In the coming weeks, you’ll see us warming up with videos, creativity, and a little silliness. We hope you’ll join us. Come dressed as hero or villain, however you interpret that. 

Can’t wait to see who you show up as!

Beth El Clergy Team