VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Finding Home for the Holidays: Syracuse’s Chabad House Celebrates Purim
Sophia Braun: The Syracuse Chabad House opened its doors for a service rooted in a story thousands of years old: the Jewish people’s historical perseverance against those who did not want them to exist.
Bianca Wolder: For the smaller holidays like Purim, Shavuot, and every week Shabbat, it’s really nice having them make a big deal of those events because they are still a part of our culture.
Braun: The holiday is built around the reading of the Megillat Esther, the custom of wearing costumes, and a deep-seated theme of celebration. That celebration includes booing and noisemaking every time the name Haman is read — he is the villain of the story who tried to kill the Jewish people. Generations later, that theme of antisemitism is still present.
Lakey Rapoport: We talk about how we almost died and then didn’t die: a trend. And then, we get to celebrate. One of the things about Purim is it’s a day that you’re supposed to be happy.
Braun: For the Rapoport family and others, this day is just one chapter in a year-round mission to keep a light on for the Syracuse community.
Rabbi Mendy Rapoport: Come in. You are welcome. Connect, reconnect.
Lakey Rapoport: Everyone is a diamond and has their unique soul and mission. And it’s a privilege for us to be a part of people’s lives and to help them shine.
Wolder: Having that space where I can create community and really have what felt like my authentic home Shabbat and holiday experience was really special to me.
Braun: It’s a reminder that even in a busy world, there is always time for connection. Reporting in Syracuse for NCC News, I’m Sophia Braun.
SYRACUSE N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — The Syracuse Chabad House marked Purim with a community service built around a centuries-old story of Jewish survival, as local organizers work to keep lesser-known Jewish holidays visible throughout the year.
The holiday centers on the reading of the Megillat Esther, a biblical account of a Jewish community that narrowly escaped annihilation. Congregants marked each mention of the villain Haman with loud booing and noise making, a tradition that has endured across generations.
“We talk about how we almost died and then didn’t die: a trend. And then, we get to celebrate,” said Lakey Rapoport, who helps lead the Chabad House. “One of the things about Purim is it’s a day that you’re supposed to be happy.”
Rabbi Mendy Rapoport, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York, said the open-door approach is central to the organization’s mission.
“Come in. You are welcome. Connect, reconnect,” he said.
For some in attendance, the Chabad House has filled a gap in their religious life. Bianca Wolder, a Syracuse community member, said having a dedicated space for holidays including Purim, Shavuot and weekly Shabbat observances has been meaningful.
“Having that space where I can create community and really have what felt like my authentic home Shabbat and holiday experience was really special to me,” Wolder said.
Lakey Rapoport said the work extends beyond any single event.
“Everyone is a diamond and has their unique soul and mission,” she said. “It’s a privilege for us to be a part of people’s lives and to help them shine.”