JEWS WILL CELEBRATE QUEEN'S VALIANT ACT.

Byline: Tracy Valeri Daily News Staff Writer

In coming weeks, Jews everywhere will celebrate Purim, a festival commemorating the rescue of the Jewish people of Persia from a plot to kill them.

The story of Purim is told in the Bible in the Book of Esther.

According to the biblical story, Esther was a Jewish queen of king Ahasuerus. However, the king was unaware that the queen was a Jew.

Haman, the king's minister, hated the Jewish people and persuaded the king to have all the Jews in the empire killed.

It was Esther who ultimately saved the Jews by telling the king that she was Jewish and pleading with him to spare the lives of her people. Ahasuerus obliged and then ordered that Haman be killed instead.

Jews celebrate the survival of their people by reading the Book of Esther, called the Megillah, in the synagogue.

Whenever Haman is mentioned in the story, the congregation makes a clamor with noisemakers called gragers to mask the sound of his name.

The people send food and gifts to friends and neighbors as well as to the poor.

Congregants also dress up in costumes as characters from the Book of Esther.

Several temples and synagogues in the Valley will have Purim carnivals and celebrations beginning Sunday until March 23:

On Sunday, Temple Solael, 6601 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills, will host a carnival with food and game booths, rides and crafts from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call [phone].

The Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, will hold a Purim prep workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday where participants will create gragers and Purim pastries, crowns and gift bags. Call [phone].

On March 21 Temple Beth Torah, 16651 Rinaldi St., Granada Hills, will celebrate at 7:30 p.m. Children and adults will come in costume for a reading of Esther. Call [phone].

On March 22, the Religious School of Temple Beth Emet, 600 N. Buena Vista St., Burbank, will hold a Purim event with a costume contest from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call [phone].

Temple Ramat Zion, 17655 Devonshire St., Northridge will host a celebration featuring a Megillah reading at 8 p.m. on March 22 followed by a traditional Havdallah service at 9 p.m. There will be a presentation by the temple's junior choir, an adult costume contest, a kids' costume parade, and a homemade grager contest with prizes. Call [phone].

Valley Beth Israel, 13060 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, will have a Purim program and reading of the Megillah at 6:45 p.m. on March 22. Call [phone].

On March 23 Temple Beth Haverim will be hosting a carnival at the Willow Elementary School, 29026 Laro Drive, Agoura Hills. At 11 a.m. there will be games, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, costume pageant and music. Call [phone].

Adat Y'shua Ha Adon will have a Purim festival from 1 to 6 p.m. on March 23 at Warner park in Woodland Hills. There will be games, Purim pastries, skits and costume contests. For directions call [phone].

West Valley Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St., West Hills, will hold a carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 23 with pony and train rides, a boutique, costumes and games. Call [phone].

Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, will have a carnival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 23. Call [phone].

Temple Ner Maraav, 17730 Magnolia Blvd., Encino will hold a Purim Bash from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 23. Call [phone].

Shomrei Torah Synagogue, 7353 Valley Circle Blvd., West Hills is hosting a carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 23 with games, a carnival train, Ferris wheel and rides. Call [phone].

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Photo

Photo: Sean Adler, left, Sam Avishay, Maddie Wind, Katie Hume and Eric Bader from Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge show off the costumes they'll be wearing for the Purim celebration March 22.

Myung J. Chun/Daily News