Families celebrate Purim at annual carnival at the Merrick Jewish Centre

The Merrick Jewish Centre hosted its annual Purim Carnival on March 1, welcoming families for an afternoon of festive fun and celebration.

Children and parents filled the social hall to enjoy balloons, prizes, raffles and a variety of carnival-style games. Young attendees took turns navigating a bounce obstacle course while others tried their luck at game booths for a chance to win treats and giveaways. The event offered an opportunity for members of the congregation and the wider community to gather and celebrate together in a lively atmosphere.

Purim celebrates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the First Persian Empire, who was planning to have all of Persia’s Jewish subjects killed. Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the Persian King Xerxes is credited as the heroine, alongside her cousin Mordecai, for saving the Jewish people.