Many of us have fond memories of Purim from our childhood: the festive costumes, the joyful noisemakers (graggers), and the dramatic retelling of the Purim story. While these traditions are a wonderful way to bring the holiday to life, there's an opportunity to delve deeper and explore the rich cultural tapestry of Purim.
As a Jewish early childhood educator, I used to teach Purim by focusing on the story itself – Esther, Mordechai, King Ahasuerus, and the dramatic events that unfolded. We'd create graggers, act out scenes, and pore over colorful storybooks. However, something felt missing. Purim takes place in Persia, a land with a vibrant culture and traditions all its own. Why wasn't I incorporating these elements into our Purim lessons?
This realization struck me as a missed opportunity. Judaism is a beautiful mosaic, encompassing countless cultures and traditions practiced by Jews all over the world. Shabbat and holidays like Purim are celebrated in diverse ways depending on where a family comes from. This diversity extends beyond food and dress – it includes unique customs, songs, and even melodies for blessings (brachot).
Inspired by this newfound awareness, I decided to integrate Persian culture into my Purim lessons. In one of the practicum courses I teach in the bachelor’s program, which concentrates on family education and coincides with our EDU 313 Partnering with Family and Community Course, I assigned students a project to create a presentation on teaching Purim while exploring Persian culture. They were tasked with reaching out to members of the Persian Jewish community to learn about their Purim traditions: how they celebrate as families, how Purim celebrations differed from their childhood memories, and the unique customs observed in their synagogues (shuls). The students also inquired about traditional foods, clothing, and of course, graggers – were there any distinct features compared to those used in Ashkenazi or Mizrachi traditions?
The final presentations were a revelation! Each student showcased the rich tapestry of Persian Purim traditions, fostering a deep appreciation for the importance of creating a culturally inclusive learning environment for children, families, and educators alike.
Purim is an opportunity to teach about the Persian culture; however, since Jews are from all over the world, Purim is not the only time we can teach about different cultures in Judaism; this can be done daily with our students, by engaging all families in our classrooms by involving them in providing cultural items in the school environment. This can include reading stories to children in their home language, teaching songs and games, and sharing clothes and food. An early childhood classroom should be where each child brings a part of their home. All Jewish children can feel represented when we embrace all of Judaism in our classrooms.