Chag Purim Sameach!
For the last week we have loved exploring Purim. It’s true… we love holidays in general and we love spreading them out over a week or two, giving ourselves time to focus on different aspects of the holiday and allowing ourselves to intentionally be present with the meanings behind them. And even within our love of all-things-holiday Purim stands out! It has amazing storytelling, reminders of perspective that we all need, and absolute permission to hyperfocus on joy… all things that early childhood education should be made up of!
The Talmud tells us that “When Adar enters, joy increases”. The Purim spirit is beyond festive and creative. As adults we are juggling so many things, and as little ones we are learning the ropes of life through play and exploration. The bumps on the road are always there, but this is a time of year that we are encouraged to seek out happiness guilt-free. We are reminded that prioritizing happiness is a mitzvah, and it makes us look a little closer into the themes of joy and spontaneity. We purposefully enter a season of silly and laughs and saturate ourselves in it.
Through the story of Purim, we learn to appreciate our opportunity for joy and to be thankful that our ancestors were courageous enough to stand up for themselves, succeeding in overcoming what could have been a very sad outcome indeed! We live a legacy of joy because people (and sometimes even one person) had the strength and perseverance to save the Jewish people. We recognize the role that women and diversity played in the story, and that they are an integral part of our history and humanity. We also see that it is *so very important* to stand up for what is right… even when it seems that the odds are against you. We see that the work we do in the ECC every day infuses these concepts of legacy, persistence and kindness into the lives of our students and staff… and it is so important to look to the present and enjoy ‘the joy’ of today.
One of our favorite things to do on Purim to be silly is to dress up… which is something we do daily in the preschool too! The Hebrew term for dressing up (l’hitchapes) is a reflective verb meaning ‘to search inside yourself’. The simple act of dressing up is a way to also search inside of yourself to rediscover who you really are. Purim reminds us that in looking back at history or even at ourselves we learn about something specific, and when you make those connections (even though something as simple as play!!) you make big real-world connections that explain feelings, perspective and empathy.
Enjoy these photos from our celebrations. And remember, whether we are ‘just playing’ or searching inside of ourselves and exploring the world, is up to you.
(Spoiler alert… we at the ECC are doing both!)
Thanks,
Amanda Watsky
ECC Curriculum Director
