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PURCHASE, N.Y. The Children's Jewish Education Group of Westchester County, which offers a Sunday school program for families that don't belong to temples, celebrated Purim with a carnival on Sunday at SUNY Purchase, where the group holds its Sunday school classes.
The group celebrated Purim, which begins March 7, with a carnival that included songs and skits performed by students on a grade-by-grade basis. The holiday recounts the deliverance of the Jewish people from an extermination plot by Haman.
Peter Romeo, co-president of the group, founded in 1961, said there are 35 students now and they're looking to boost enrollment. The group includes interfaith families and others who take a liberal approach to their religion.
"It's no stress religion, we have fun and learn about our religion," said Mount Kisco resident Evan Kamer, whose three children have participated in the program.
"It's open and accepting of nontraditional interfaith families," said Maggie Levy, whose son Joshua is a first-grader in the program. "Josh enjoys seeing kids from all over the county."
Children played games at the carnival, including Sponge Haman, in which they threw wet sponges at a child playing Haman. They won tickets at the games they used to buy prizes.
Children also decorated packing boxes that will be used to store food items that will be distributed to seniors on the Lower East Side by Project Ezra on Passover.
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