Peace, Love and Megillah Come to Temple Beth Elohim

The Biblical story of Purim took a twist through the Age of Aquarius this weekend at the in Old Bethpage.

The story in the commemorates the triumph of the Jews over the villain whose plot for genocide is retold every year in many variations by Jews around the world. The comedy shows are known as the Purim Spiel.

And the innovative folks at Temple Beth Elohim launched the holiday with the musical spoof entitled "The Megillah Goes to Woodstock."

The Woodstock version features a peace-loving Esther and a groovy cast who bring harmony to the kingdom by exposing Haman's plot.  In this crazy script, Haman, who is executed for his wicked plans in the original story, is allowed to live in peace with the Jews.

The main characters were transported from ancient Persia to Woodstock to re-tell their story with lyrics set to the music of Aquarian era, including songs of The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Steppenwolf.

The show was presented by a cast of hippie-costumed congregants and clergy, children from our religious school and the electrified music of the temple's Rockin' Shabbat Band.

The story of Purim never gets old when it is perpetually adapted for a
modern audience but some of the old customs. Rattling the noisy groggers to drown out the villain's name is a crowd favorite. And the lively
Temple Beth Elohim congregation shared in the interactive show wearing
costumes and singing along.

After the service, the congregation and cast enjoyed a party with Hamantaschen, the traditional triangle-shaped cookie.

Editor's Note: Special thanks to Debbie Baer, Haylee Grote, and Jacques Wolfner, who contributed to this article.