Brooklyn Brandeis Society’s annual Purim luncheon continues to be a hit

March 2, 2018 By Rob Abruzzese, Legal Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

From left: Hon. Kathy Levine, Hon. Ellen Spodek, Hon. Miriam Cyrulnik and Hon. Rachel A. Adams. Eagle photos by Rob Abruzzese

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The Brooklyn Brandeis Society held its fourth annual Purim Luncheon at the Brooklyn Bar Association on Remsen Street, where members shared a meal and held discussions.

“I want to thank everyone for coming out today,” said Brandeis Society President Andrew Fallek “This is a pretty good showing for us.”

Purim is the Jewish holiday celebrating Queen Esther of Persia. It begins at sundown on Feb. 28 and ends at nightfall on March 1. The villain in the story is Haman, and Brandeis members stomped their feet every time his name was mentioned during the event.

Dressed in a costume that involved a shark hat, Fallek discussed the Book of Esther by teasing the story of the Persian King Ahasuerus, a wealthy man with a taste for power.

“One of the wealthiest men in the country, he was living large, he had a thing for beautiful women and beauty pageants,” Fallek said. “He was so wealthy and famous that women would let him do almost anything to them, a beautiful wife, he had enough money to buy as many homes as you want. But that wasn’t enough. He wanted to be the leader of the most powerful nation in the world.

“Even though he was filthy rich he would try to appeal to the common folk,” he continued. “They had nothing in common with him, but they were wowed by his wealth and they felt that he would lead them properly. He made sure to let everyone know that his country was the most important and he wasn’t all that fond of foreigners.

“Admittedly this was a far-fetched story and not something that would probably happen today, but unfortunately, as some may have guessed, I’m actually talking about King Ahasuerus, the king of Persia in the Hebrew year 3392.

“And yes, back then there were even rumors of a border wall in Jerusalem so hopefully I’ve whet your appetite about the book of Esther.”

As members continued their meel, Rabbi Hanniel Levenson of Congregation Mount Sinai also led a discussion on Purim and its importance for the Jewish culture.

The Brandeis Society’s next event will be discussion with Prof. Michael J. Broyde titled, “When Things Fall Apart At Home: Marriage, Divorce and Child Custody in the Jewish Tradition.” It will be held on Wednesday, March 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Congregation Mount Sinai. Dinner will be provided for attendees.