In Judaism, it is a mitzvah and commandment to have pure joy. This rings especially true on Purim.
Jews around the world held Purim carnivals in honor of the holiday, and the Santa Clarita Valley was no exception.
Hundreds of people gathered at Valencia Heritage Park on Sunday for a Purim carnival organized by three congregations in the community: Temple Beth Ami, Congregation Beth Shalom and Chabad of SCV.
“Purim means a celebration of Jewish pride, a reminder that God is looking out for us,” said Rabbi Mendel Dinerman.
Purim celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over Haman that happened over 2,000 years ago.
Haman was an adviser of King Ahasuerus who decided he wanted to annihilate the Jewish people.
The leader of the Jewish people, Rabbi Mordechai, gathered the Jews and prayed.
Esther, King Ahasuerus’s queen, then joined with Mordechai and, with God’s help, convinced the king not to kill the Jewish people.
“The holiday of Purim is different than any other holiday in that there is no open miracle,” said Rabbi Choni Marozov of Chabad of SCV
There are two kinds of miracles though. There is a miracle that supersedes nature and the miracle with in nature.
“Purim celebrates our day to day miracles, so life itself is a miracle,” said Marozov. “We call it nature but it’s really miraculous.”
