March 11, 2005/Adar I 30 5765, Volume 57, No. 28
Purimshpiel takes joy seriously
BATSHEVA POMERANTZ
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 Youngsters from the Gilo Comprehensive High School in Jerusalem perform a Purimshpiel. Photo courtesy of Israel Press Service |
From the first day of Adar until Purim, which falls on the 14th-15th of Adar, routine schoolwork takes a back seat as students prepare and perform the Purimshpiel (Purim play).
Since the Middle Ages it has been customary among Ashkenazic Jews to masquerade on Purim. The Purimshpiel developed from this and involved the retelling of the story of Esther through humorous monologues and rhymes, providing an opportunity for the audience to cheer the heroes and boo the villains.
Initially enacted in Yiddish, Ladino or Hebrew, it was based on the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther) and was usually presented in private homes during the festive family meal by actors wearing masks and costumes.
The story of Purim is an exciting, historical one - an archetype of all stories in which Jews confront enemies who aim to destroy them. Esther is ordained as the queen of the Persian monarch, King Ahasuerus, who is unaware that she is a Jewess. His adviser, the evil Haman, plans to destroy the Jewish people, and Esther courageously speaks to the king on their behalf. This leads to their miraculous redemption and the hanging of Haman. The 14th of Adar, the date Haman chose to destroy the Jews by casting lots - purim in Hebrew - turns "from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday" for future generations.
The 14th-century poet and philosopher Kalonymos ben Kalonymos wrote the Purim Tractate (which the Anglo-Jewish writer Jacob Israelstam jokingly referred to as "The Tractate of Lots for the Night of Sots") - a parody of the Mishna and Gemara. Although opposed by many sages, the tractate became popular and was published in a number of editions. An example from the poet's work is his list of 24 different kinds of meat and pastry dishes that "were told to Moses on Mount Sinai, all of which one must prepare on Purim."
By the second half of the 16th century, Purim-shpiels sometimes included contests between cantors from Poland, Italy and Germany, and until at least the mid-17th century, the subject matter of the Purimshpiel was drawn from contemporary Jewish life and based on well-known humorous tales. From this point on, well-developed texts on biblical themes began to appear, the oldest surviving text of this type being a manuscript from 1697 on the story of the Book of Esther.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the plots of the Purim-shpiel in Eastern Europe focused on Jacob and Esau, the sale of Joseph by his brothers and David and Goliath, and dramatized the plight and ultimate victory of the underdog.
The actors were either yeshiva students, members of craftsmen's guilds or actors, known as Purimshpieler. Plays were performed in the yeshivas or the women's section of communal centers and consisted of rhymes and catchy tunes, satire and hyperbole.
These shows quickly paved the way for Jewish theater, with the main character in one folk comedy - supposedly based on the sale of Joseph - being a German comic character known as Pickleherring.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the sacrifice of Isaac and the wisdom of Solomon were more popular.
According to historian Dr. Yitzchak Kerem, "Some Sephardic communities have parades and plays and wear costumes, but there is no satirical or spoof element like in the Purimshpiels of Eastern Europe." Witty Sephardic and Yemenite Jewish writers, however, wrote eulogies for Haman, which consisted of songs and Torah witticisms. One example was the concocting of a ketubah (marriage contract) for Haman and his wife Zeresh.
In Eastern Europe, the head of the yeshiva (rosh yeshiva) would be replaced with a student known as the Purim rabbi, who would wear typical garb, stand in the place reserved for the rabbi and deliver a sermon in front of the city's dignitaries. This had to contain the latest Torah thoughts, with the word order changed, and be presented in mock seriousness.
"Every year when the Purim rabbi enters our school, the imagination takes off," says Rabbi Mordechai Gordon, a coordinator at the Boys Town - Kiryat Noar High School in Jerusalem, where Torah, technology and academic subjects are combined. "Once the 'rabbi' was lowered down in a car, and in another school he arrived by helicopter."
The senior class is responsible for the Purimshpiel, with preparations commencing on Rosh Chodesh Adar (the first day of the month of Adar), and the program is supervised by a faculty rabbi so as not to infringe on Jewish law.
As in most yeshiva high schools, the Boys Town Purimshpiel focuses on student life in the study hall, dining room and dormitory.
"The students have a chance to express criticism in a cultured way with practical results, like improving the kitchen and services," Gordon says, "They criticize the teachers but are cautious not to hurt their feelings or embarrass them or the students." Teachers receiving well-deserved praise take it seriously on this holiday of mirth and joy.
This year, the Gilo Comprehensive High School in Jerusalem, which has a large heterogeneous student body, has decorated its classrooms with placards containing rhyming jingles, and, according to Pamela Halperin, English coordinator for the junior high school, "students have been learning about the history of Purim and its costumes and have been encouraged to send each other greeting cards by e-mail. Teachers will be receiving hamantashchen (three-cornered Purim cookies) in which we've inserted different proverbs."
"Generally there is no theme for the Purimshpiel," adds Halperin, "although this year it may be 'Alice in Wonderland.'"
While the witty rhymes, jokes, parodies and colorful language of today's Purimshpiels may seem to diminish the spiritual importance of the holiday, they carry a serious message - the celebration of good over evil.