Comments on: This holiday is disgusting.

By: Plucky

Plucky — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:36:24 +0000

Esther, I agree with you very much in post #9. I went to Hebrew U in 2001 and wanted to get the whole “experience,” so I went, but the noise and crowds freaked me out- the screwed up time as it was in 2001 and the fact that I don’t like to drink or the drunkenness that results made me want to get out. Luckily I found a guy also from Hebrew U willing to cab it back with me to make sure I got to my apartment in Givat Tzarfatit ok. Then on Yom Ha’atzmaut I learned my lesson, didn’t go out with the rest of the group, instead enjoying what I love- Israeli dancing at kikar safra. It was nice being with Israelis and not with americans…and watching the fireworks while doing traditional folk dances was an amazing experience.

By: rebecca

rebecca — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:55:27 +0000

apparantly I was really lucky– I missed all the balagan, and had a wonderful time at the aforementioned Baka shindig, and at numerous se’udot the next day.

But now I think I know why it took so long for the bus to get through that part of town of Purim, and why there were so many traffic cops

By: themiddle

themiddle — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:51:56 +0000

ynetnews.com/a...

Seems they arrested some of these hooligans.

By: Rel

Rel — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 02:40:26 +0000

I think the israeli police finally caught on and decided to do somethign about the ruckus. (ynetnews.com/a...) But I agree, since when does the meaning of Purim include riots? Regardless of what someone could do with the holiday it is clearly being abused and the condoning of rinking for anyone over bar-mitzvah needs to be seriously rethought if those same kids cannot be controled. Or at least prevented from puking 11 times.

By: Jobber

Jobber — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:06:43 +0000

These sort of things are mostly carried out by younger people. U may want to remember when you were that age and got into mischief. Not that it is justified.

There is no need to have any sort of party really.

It can be a spiritual day that is all. In my case, I had a very simcha oriented Purim day. I finally got some work, after 6 weeks of climbing the walls.

This is the state of the economy in america.

So in the Fast of Esther, I asked again for work.
and the next day, after they assigned new work to someone else, I out of character, asked for this work in a harsh and serious tone. Then they brought me a new assignment. Now I can breathe again. So it was a jopyous Purim for me.

Even tho I didn’t make it to Shule at all. I was too depressed to go Monday night do to the condition described but thank G-d, things got better.

So it is important to keep a proper perspective.

Now to tackle the 3 bottles of vino people brought….

By: esther

esther — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:31:22 +0000

Purim in Jerusalem kind of scared me when I was there as a Hebrew U. student…the firecrackers were very unnerving, and more of my friends were sexually molested by yeshiva boys that night than any other one, except maybe Yom Ha’atzmaut, which was more of the same, and slightly more disturbing (“Whoo hoo! Israel was born in ’48! Let’s grab some Jewish boobs!”).

It is fun to pretend you’re something other than what you are, or to explore a side of you that people don’t expect to see. I totally get that. But when it gets destructive or scary? I just don’t like it–hence my general boycott of Halloween, with its emphasis on mischief and fright. I think people wear metaphorical masks often enough; when you add drinking to excess, that can break down social conventions. Sometimes in a good way, yes. But sometimes in a not-so-good way.

So while I’m not ready to say Purim as a holiday is “disgusting,” I’m ready to say that people can be.

Not like I wasn’t out with drunk people last night, but none of us set off any firecrackers. The only mischief was something involving dropping an ice cube into someone’s pants. At least that’s all I remember.

By: chutzpah

chutzpah — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 16:42:51 +0000

The bochorim where screaming songs at the top of their lungs on my block in New Jersey. I was about to ask them to take it indoors at 2 am when it started to rain and they went in. These people live such controlled and repressed lives that the wild venting once a year is kinda sorta understandable, even though it appears disgusting and doesn’t represent the intention of the holiday.

By: themiddle

themiddle — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:00:46 +0000

Seriously Michael, there are plenty of places in Israel where things are decidedly different.

By: Ben-David

Ben-David — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:00:17 +0000

This is the unfortunate downside of a Jerusalem under Jewish ownership, and thank G-d teeming with Jews: even if all the yeshivas and communities do their best to monitor their youth, enough kids will slip away from the organized activities and into hooliganism.

I remember feeling fear and disgust as I made my way with friends from our yeshiva to other yeshivas on Purim, and making my way through the litter the next day on the way to my sister’s Purim feast across town.

Sorry your Purim has been so irritating so far – but since Jerusalem celebrates Shushan Purim, you can maybe hook up with an organizsed event today and enjoy.

By: amechad

amechad — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 08:50:32 +0000

I would argue that what they are doing is assur. Of course, what I think is irrelevant.

Just stay out of downtown on Yom HaAtzmaut. Then its the arsim vandalizing shit.

By: BZ

BZ — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 06:00:16 +0000

As long as we continue to refer to people who do these things as “religious”, we are (in a very small way) complicit in their actions.

By: hooter

hooter — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:58:52 +0000

I can’t help but see the rebirth or a modern-day Haman in the current President of Iran…….

By: mobius

mobius — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 03:15:06 +0000

you shoulda come out with me. went to a megillah reading then off to a festive shindig in baka. no fights, not firecrackers, just a lot of drinking and dancing.

though if i had a pellet gun, i’d be firing it at the arsi pricks shooting off m80s in my backyard right now.

By: mobius

mobius — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 03:12:06 +0000

you shoulda come out with me. went to a megillah reading then off to a festive shindig in baka. no fights, not firecrackers, just a lot of drinking and dancing.

though if i had a pellet gun, i’d be firing it at the arsi pricks shooting off m80s in my backyard right now.