Purim Events in the South

Alabama
The joint Temple Beth-El and Emanu-El Purim in Birmingham will be at Emanu-El this year, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. Cantor Jessica Roskin and Sarah Metzger will lead Beatles musical interludes during the megillah reading. There will be dinner and a costume contest. The religious schools will also have a joint carnival and Disney spiel on March 4, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Knesseth Israel in Birmingham will have a Western (Wall)-style Purim, with a megillah reading, dinner, games, mechanical bull rides and more, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. Beer, margaritas and Shirley Temples will be served. The event is donation only.

Chabad of Alabama will have a Mini Hamantash Bake for ages 0 to 5, coordinated with PJ Library, on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Reserve to florinan@bjf.org by Feb. 18.

There will be a community women’s megillah reading, coordinated by Ilene Kosoff, at Birmingham’s N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, March 1 at 3 p.m. All women and girls are welcome, no men or boys older than age 3.

Chabad of Alabama will have a Hip Hop Purim on March 1, with a megillah reading at 4:30 p.m. and hip hop Purim party at 5 p.m. There will be a festive dinner, DJ, children’s activities including a Mad Science magician, an open bar for adults and an airbrush artist. Reservations are $18 for adults, $10 for children, maximum of $60 per family.

Dothan’s Temple Emanu-El will have a Beatles Purim and potluck on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.

B’nai Israel in Florence will have its Purim celebration during the Feb. 23 Shabbat service.

Etz Chayim in Huntsville will have a hot dog dinner and Purim spiel on Feb. 28.

Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville will have a Hamantaschen baking party on Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Purim Shabbat services on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.

Chabad of Huntsville will have a Purim Party Masquerade, with a feast dinner, an open bar for adults, children’s activities, costumes and a megillah reading. The event will be at Homewood Suites on March 1 at 4:30 p.m. Reservations are $10 in advance, $14 at the door, family maximum of $36.

A Mobile-area community-wide Purim festival will be held at Ahavas Chesed on March 3 at 6:30 p.m., with a Klezmer band from New Orleans, food, wine and babysitting.

Chabad of Mobile will have a Purim Soiree for all ages, March 1 at 5 p.m., with a buffet dinner, cocktails for adults, chocolate fondue, music, open mic, a megillah reading, masquerade and hamantaschen. Donations are welcome, reservations are needed.

Ahavas Chesed in Mobile will have a megillah reading on Feb. 28 at 6:15 p.m., following a 5:30 p.m. pizza dinner. There is a suggested donation of $5 per person or $10 per family.

Springhill Avenue Temple will have a megillah reading, “Oy What A Spiel” skit and dinner on March 2 after the 6 p.m. service.

The Montgomery joint Purim service will be at Agudath Israel-Etz Ahayem on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., with a Hamilton theme. There will be a spaghetti dinner, costume parade and contest. Reservations are $10 for adults, $7 for ages 7 to 13 and free for 6 and under, and are needed by Feb. 21.

Temple Emanu-El in Tuscaloosa will have its religious school fundraiser and Purim party on Feb. 28, starting at 5:30 p.m. with a megillah reading, then a party with Purim games, and a pizza dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Florida Panhandle
Purim Around The World visits France this year, with Chabad Emerald Coast in Destin, in solidarity with the Jewish community of France. There will be a megillah reading, French cuisine, and a wine and cheese tasting, on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.

B’nai Israel in Panama City will have a Purim costume party and hamantaschen on Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.

Temple Beth-El in Pensacola will have a Purim service and shpiel, “Esther and the Man Who Shall Not Be Named,” Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. Rabbi Joel Fleekop will lead “Haman, Hamantashen and Hefeweizen” for ages 21 and up, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

The Pensacola community-wide Purim carnival will be at B’nai Israel on Feb. 25, not the previously-announced location, starting at 12:15 p.m., sponsored by the Pensacola Jewish Federation and PJ Library.

Louisiana
Gemiluth Chassodim in Alexandria will have its Purim celebration with a costume parade and potluck dinner, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.

B’nai Israel in Baton Rouge will have a Purim celebration and Middle Eastern dinner on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. Dinner reservations are $10.

Beth Shalom in Baton Rouge will have a Purim party on Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m., with a dairy potluck, parade, crafts, photo booth and more.

Chabad of Baton Rouge will host Purim in the Stadium, a sports-themed family celebration at BREC’s Highland Road Community Park, March 1 at 5 p.m. There will be a stadium food buffet, megillah reading and halftime show.

The Uptown Jewish Community Center in New Orleans will have its 29th annual community-wide Adloyadah, Feb. 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is free and open to the community. An all-day children’s play pass is $12.

JNOLA will have a Purim Pub Crawl, Feb. 25 starting at 3 p.m. Those in costume can get a free drink at each of the three spots. The crawl starts at Madigan’s Bar, then Ale on Oak and Little Tokyo. There will be karaoke and a vote for best costume.

A Purim Carol? Rabbi Robert Loewy of Gates of Prayer in Metairie is expressing “Bah, Humbug!” in advance of his final Purim before retirement, but at the Purim event on Feb. 28, he will be visited by the Ghost of Purim Past, the Ghost of Purim Present and a cameo by the Ghost of Purim Future. A light
dinner at 6 p.m. will be followed by the Purim shpiel at 6:30 p.m.

Beth Israel in Metairie will have a Hogwarts Purim adventure, starting with the megillah reading on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., followed by the annual Breakfast for Dinner and a performance by Tulane’s a capella group NJBeats. Another megillah reading will be on March 1 at 8 a.m.

Shir Chadash in Metairie will have Purim, Panorama and Pizza, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. A kids’ costume parade will start at 6 p.m., with a theatrical megillah reading by Daniel Olson. A surprise introduction will start a Second Line with the Panorama Jazz Band, followed by dancing and pizza from Pizza Nola.

Chabad in Metairie will hold Purim in Hawaii at Torah Academy on March 1 at 5 p.m., with a concert by Sam Glaser, accompanied by the Panorama Jazz Band. There will be a Hawaiian dinner and tropical Tiki bar, with adult and kid parties simultaneously. Reservations by Feb. 25 are $18 for adults, $10 for kids, and $25 for adults, $15 for kids.

Touro Synagogue in New Orleans will have an adult Purim Happy Hour on Feb. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Grant Meyer Garden Pavilion.

Temple Sinai in New Orleans will have JEWmanji: Welcome to Shushan, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m.

The Anshe Sfard Purim party in New Orleans will be on Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Chabad is holding a Purim story hour on Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Jefferson Parish Library in Metairie.

The community Purim carnival in Shreveport will be at B’nai Zion on Feb. 25 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a Mediterranean feast, bounce houses, interactive games for all ages, prizes, musical cake walk, snacks and the famous BZ hamantashen.

Agudath Achim in Shreveport will have its Purim covered dish dinner on Feb. 28 at 6:15 p.m., followed by Cantor Neil Schwartz’s play about Esther and the megillah reading at 7 p.m.

B’nai Zion in Shreveport will have a Purim celebration on March 2 at 6 p.m.

Mississippi
Biloxi’s Chabad of Southern Mississippi is hosting Purim in China, with a megillah reading and slideshow, interactive children’s program, kosher Chinese buffet and Jewish humor fortune cookies, March 1 at 5 p.m.

Hebrew Union Congregation in Greenville will have its Purim lunch on Feb. 25 at 11 a.m.

Beth Israel in Gulfport will have its Purim carnival on Feb. 25 at 10:30 a.m.

Beth Israel in Jackson will have its megillah reading on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.