JCC State of Mind – March 29, 2024

Strengthening community through innovative holiday experiences is not exclusive to Purim – it’s central to our work and is ongoing. The South Hills Purim Palooza, planned by Beth El Congregation, Temple Emanuel and the South Hills JCC, is a shining example. Over 400 people in two shifts spent Sunday morning fulfilling the four mitzvot of Purim, playing carnival games and writing letters for the Jewish Soldiers Project.  In a collaborative, ongoing partnership with the two congregations, we’ve amplified our ability to engage a boarder audience in the South Hills through meaningful Jewish programming. Beyond the Purim festivities, our work together has resulted in more robust holiday programming, including Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah, intentionally designed to engage not only our members, but anyone looking to connect to Jewish community.

The celebration continued in Squirrel Hill for our annual Snyder Family Purim Carnival, which was a demonstration of community in the truest sense. Activities and carnival games were led by staff and volunteers from Tree of Life, Repair the World, The Beacon and The Friendship Circle and 20 middle school student ambassadors from Community Day School. The result was our “town square” packed with hundreds of children, parents, grandparents and community members embracing the spirit of Purim. And the celebration kept going well into the evening with our partners at The Friendship Circle and Kesser Torah hosting individual gatherings at the JCC.

While we need Purim every year, we certainly did need it this year more than others. We needed the collaboration across Am Yisrael. We needed the fun of the holiday. The Book of Esther teaches us that back in the day, the Jewish People of Persia enjoyed light and joy, and just as our ancestors enjoyed it more than 2,000 years ago, so did we this year throughout Pittsburgh.

Wishing you and your families a Shabbat shalom filled with light and joy,

Emma Litwak and Abbey Plumb