Temple Beth Israel celebrates Purim

Step aside, Regular Linda — Picasso Linda is here, for one night only. 

Linda Rosenbluth, known for a night as "Picasso Linda," was one of about a dozen Temple Beth Israel members to dress up for the congregation's Purim party. She wore her actual painting clothes, including her speckled pants and shoes.

"I don't always dress up on Purim, but it's fun," Rosenbluth said. "I never want to let a fun experience pass." 

Her costume didn't have anything to with the story of the holiday, but that's how it is on Purim. Rosenbluth attended with her husband, Robert Rosenbluth, who was a cowboy for the evening. His father-in-law was a real cowboy in Maricopa County back in the day, so he donned his old hat. Pair that with a vest and cowboy boots, and you've got the Sundance Kid to Rabbi Michael Eisenstat's Butch Cassidy.

"It's a carnival-like festival," Rabbi Stephen Sniderman said. "We dress up, let our hair down so to speak and put on our silly little outfits for the fun of it." 

The rest of the costumed crew dressed up in outfits ranging from the Purim-based (like the good Queen Esther or the evil Haman) to the fun and silly (like a couple dressed as peanut butter and jelly). 

"I eat peanut butter every morning, that's why I dressed like this," Susan Friedman said. "In case anyone's wondering, you can get just about anything on Amazon." 

Most of the costumes were quick and easy ensembles pulled together from what attendees had in their closets. Roberta Wladis, a Syracuse cheerleader, pulled hers together in about five minutes thanks to her alumni sweatshirt from the 1960s. On Purim, the tradition of dressing up has a few origins: the hidden Jewish identity of Queen Esther, to reflect the miracles hidden in the events of the Purim story or to reflect Mordecai's disguise. 

"You're supposed to dress up for Purim, it's a costume party," Wladis said. 

Costumed guests made their way into the sanctuary, where Sniderman did the readings for Purim. The story behind the holiday is from the Book of Esther and recounts when the Jewish population of Persia was saved by Queen Esther from the king's royal vizier, Haman, who planned to kill them all. Esther's cousin, Mordecai, thwarted Haman's plans — therefore, you spin noisemakers when Haman is mentioned to drown him out and cheer when Mordecai is brought up. As opposed to the High Holidays, which have a serious air about them, Purim is a party, plain and simple. Each congregation celebrates a little differently, perhaps with a longer reading or a more raucous party. 

"We're trying to be civilized in our revelry," Sniderman said. "We're not going half the night because we need to be in bed."

A couple shady Hamans and lovely Queen Esthers showed up, including temple President Stuart Sinai and Carole Shaw as the pair, but JoAnn Goldwater took another approach. Dressed in gloves, pearls and a hat with a red rose, she wore a sign that said "The Other Queen." 

"All the little girls dress as Queen Esther, so I dressed as the other queen — Elizabeth," Goldwater said. 

After The Other Queen, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Picasso Linda, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a Syracuse cheerleader, a Dalí painting and a few Hamans and Esthers made their way to the social hall, snacks were served. The featured food was hamantaschen made by Arlene Krum. Before attendees parted ways, Elise Galinsky passed out prizes for the best costume and the Friedmans, as peanut butter and jelly, took home first place.