Purim at YU

Purim At YU

By: Shuey Mirkin

Facebook’s Event section seems to indicate that the whole Jewish world was at the Zusha concert on Purim night, where YU’s very own Shlomo Gaisin brought down the roof at the Bowery Ballroom. Did someone say special guest appearance from Matisyahu?

For those of us who decided to stay behind at YU, there was no shortage of things to do. Starting with ample nourishment from the legendary Carlos and Gabby’s, the Purim Chagigah, 2015 edition, got off to a great - though slightly delayed - start. For one short day, all the stress of midterms and essays faded away, and the only thing to do was, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Steve Miller would say, Dance Dance Dance. With Neshoma Orchestra, playing all the hits, students and rebbeim joined together to sing and dance and celebrate the holiday. Some highlights included the traditional Purim night party at Rabbi Meir Goldwicht’s apartment, where his endearing accent and vast wellsprings of Torah and happiness always draw crowds. After several hours of good food, friends, and spirited dancing, everyone was just about ready to find about what Josh Botwinick, Yechiel Schwab, Avi J. Schwartz, and the other inimitable members of the Purim Shpiel had been planning for us. To put it lightly, they did not disappoint. From a hilarious round of celebrity Family Feud (#HaMashpia), to several other reasons why you should take a semester of Latin, the crew had the audience in stitches. To close it all off, we were treated to an epic cover of Mark Ronson’s anthem to the upper latitudes of Manhattan, appropriately titled Uptown Funk. Apparently, Stern girls work at the Seforim Sale, and some of them even live in Brookdale. Who knew?

During the day, dedicated participants of the new Kimu V’Kiblu Kollel program learned for the duration of the morning and were treated to a Golan-style Purim seudah. Music Vs., headlined by the indomitable Mark Weingarten, provided opportunities for students to transform their personal days of joy into a day of creating joy for others. Throughout the morning, groups of students spread out to hospitals and nursing homes across New York City to bring music, smiles, and Mishloach Manot to those who needed a little extra happiness. With guitars, ridiculous costumes, and candy to spare, these generous men and women gave their morning to spread Purim cheer all around town. In the afternoon, everyone branched off to their individual Purim seudot, and the awesome sounds of a Purim well spent could be heard well into the night.

However, on Shushan Purim, students woke up (some later than others) to the realization that, as much as their incredible Purim may have implied, their midterms had not in fact gone away. Let’s hope the light and joy created this Purim will carry us all the way to the next one, and L’shana Haba B’Yerushalayim.