Get ready to celebrate Purim next Thursday 25 February/Friday 26 February! Below is a list of events happening around the UPJ region.

ACT Progressive Congregation (Canberra)
Thursday 25 February at 7.15pm: Lecture by Rabbi Gary Robuck on "Masechtot Purim: An original annotated translation and commentary on two medieval Purim parodies", followed by 7.45pm Mincha and Ma'ariv and 8.25pm Megillah reading
Friday 26 February: Deliveries of mishloach manot baskets during the day; 4.00pm Megillah reading and 4.30-.30pm Purim party and sing-a-long with Rabbi Robuck

Beit Shalom Synagogue (Adelaide, SA)
Sunday 28 February from 2.00pm: Purim Carnival; fun for all ages, including activities for children, a children's Purim Spiel and the tradition Purim Spiel.
 
Beth Shalom (Auckland, NZ)
Thursday 25 February at 6.30pm: Come along and enjoy hearing the Megillah and watching the Purim spiel, and then party! Wear your best Purim costumes and enjoy Hamentaschen. Please bring some finger food to share. Family crafts activities from 6.00pm.

Emanuel Synagogue (Woollahra, NSW)
Due to COVID restrictions, numbers for all in-person events below are strictly limited, so will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Don’t miss out! For details of all events, as well as activities, games, songs, recipes and more, click here.

• Online hamantaschen baking: Tuesday 23 February, 6pm-7pm; Register here for this online event and to receive recipes
• Service and Megillah reading followed by Spiel or No Spiel - a video retrospective of 20 years of Emanuel Purim spiels!: Thursday 25 February, from 6.15pm; Register here to attend in person (or to receive details for attending online)
• Renewal Beach Purim Shabbat: Friday 26 February, from 6pm; RSVP direct to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Purim Carnival: Sunday 28 February, from 10am-11.30am;Register here to attend in person

Kedem (Armadale, Victoria)
Thursday 25 February at 6.00pm: Covid Shmovid Purim Party. Plan A: Register quickly with Rosi to attend in-person, in the hope of the regulation gods being kind. Plan B: If the regulations turn out to be a barrier to meeting in-person, we will do a perfect Purim pivot and be on Zoom only. Either way, get your costumes and masks (ha ha) ready!

Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism (East Kew, Victoria)
Sunday 21 February at 3.00pm and Monday 22 March at 7.00pm: Festival Food Series featuring Purim hosted online by Rita Erlich. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information; click here to book online.

North Shore Temple Emanuel (Chatswood, NSW)
Thursday 25 February at 6.30pm: lively evening prayer service, along with a fun and boisterous Megillah reading, and some lovely musical performances. We will also have a costume parade with a surprise prize for the winner! we will also be collecting donations keeping with the tradition of matanot le'evyonim (gifts for those in need). In the weeks leading up to Purim, we ask anyone that is able to please bring children's activity books, colouring books (for children and adults), word search books, books with puzzles and games, and coloured pencils. Items placed in our Livracha basket will be donated to WEAVE Youth and Community Services, which works with disadvantaged and vulnerable people, including indigenous families in the City of Sydney and South Sydney areas. All items must be new. Registration link: https://www.nste.org.au/form/purim-event-registration.html

Sunday 21 February: Young Families Purim Picnic lunch for families with children aged 0-8 (including their older siblings). At least one parent or other guardian must be present. Location is TBC but at or proximate to NSTE. Food and drink are BYO (Covid restrictions prevent us from sharing at NSTE events, though individually wrapped Hamantaschen will be provided). Fancy dress encouraged! Must pre-register for contact tracing purposes. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details or register for the event here: https://www.nste.org.au/event/purim-yf-picnic.

Temple Sinai (Wellington, NZ)
Friday 26 March, 5.45pm for 6.00pm:

• Show off your best Purim mask and fancy dress
• Listen to and join in Megillat Esther
• Complete for the Hamentashen Cup
• Enjoy the Purimspiel

Temple Beth Israel (St Kilda, Victoria)
Thursday 25 February, 12pm: "Hamentaschen: A History"; join via Zoom
Thursday 25 February beginning at 5.00pm: Purim Maskerade: www.tbi.org.au/purim

• 5.00pm Family activities (primary-school aged kids)
• 6.00pm Costume Parade (adults and kids)
• 6.15pm: Megillah reading and Zoom Spiel; entry by donation of a canned good or other non-perishable food item.
  

Thursday 25 February at 7.00pm: Next Dor 20s-30s group Purim Afterparty; in person at TBI
Friday 26 February at 10.00am: Bubs & Bagels Purim (babies and toddlers up to age 4)