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The Conversation USA

How New York's 19th-century Jews turned Purim into an American party

  • Written by Zev Eleff, Associate Professor of Jewish History, Touro College
imageThe Jewish Museum's Purim Ball at the Park Avenue Armory in 2015 in New York City.Andrew Toth/Getty Images

Purim, which falls this year on Feb. 26, ranks among Judaism’s most joyous holidays.

In synagogues, Jews read the Scroll of Esther, a book in the Hebrew Bible that explains how Purim came to be. Jewish people dress up in costumes and...

Read more: How New York's 19th-century Jews turned Purim into an American party

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