March 12th is approaching and the Jewish holiday of Purim is upon us. Marked on the 15th of Adar in the Hewbrew Calendar, it commemorates the defeat of Haman’s plot to massacre the Jews as recorded in the book of Esther.
Here is a collection of various songs, images and recipes in honor of the holiday from Yiddish translator and blogger Rivka Schiller. Most items have a direct link to the Yiddish and Yiddish speaking world dating back before World War II.
We wish you all a א פריילעכן פורים – Freylekhn Purim – Happy Purim!
Jewish DP children perform in a Purim play in the Cremona displaced persons camp. Cremona, Italy (DP Camp), c. 1947. (Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, accessed 3-6-17).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNVXz2sxgkw
לחיים פון דער מגילה/Lekhaim fun der Megile/L’chaim from the Megillah (courtesy of YouTube, accessed 3-6-17).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmpzEinWTR4
דער ניגון פון דער מגילה/Der nign fun der Megile/The Melody of the Megillah (courtesy of YouTube, accessed 3-6-17).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMvLi2lF4a8
המן–טאשן/Homentashn/Hamantashen (traditional three-cornered Purim pastry with a filling) sung by Theodore Bikel (courtesy of YouTube, accessed 3-6-17).
Jewish DP children perform in a Purim play in the Cremona displaced persons camp. Cremona, Italy (DP Camp), c. 1947. (Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, accessed 3-6-17).
Poster announcing “A Great Purim Ball Dance” to include a “wind orchestra” and scheduled for 8:00 pm in Vilna, on Friday the 18th of March [1927]. (Courtesy of the YIVO Institute, accessed 3-5-17).
My Mother’s (Miriam Schiller’s) Homentash Recipe
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs. orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Filling of choice (e.g., poppy seed, prune, apricot, strawberry, etc.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until dough comes together. Place dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to ¼ inch in thickness. Cut into circles using cookie cutter or round-edged drinking glass. Place cookies on greased cookie sheets. Fill with desired filling and pinch edges of cookies to form three corners.
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes in preheated oven or until lightly browned.
The finished result should look something like this:
(Courtesy of Tori Avey, accessed 3-6-17).