Purim spiel

Purim spiel performance in the Jewish Theatre of Warsaw, Poland in March 2009

A Purim spiel (also spelled Purimshpil, Yiddish: פּורימשפּיל‎, from Yiddish shpil 'game, play', see also spiel) or Purim play is an ensemble of festive practices for Purim. It is usually a comic dramatization of the Book of Esther, the central text and narrative that describes what transpired on Purim and why it is celebrated as an important Jewish holiday.

History[]

The Purim spiel is considered the "only genuine folk theater that has survived a thousand years in European culture."^[1] Integrating texts, theater, music, dance, songs, mimes, and costumes, the Purim spiel is considered to be the origin of Yiddish theatre.^[2] The descriptive term "Purim spiel" became widely used among Ashkenazi Jews as early as the mid-1500s.^[1]

By the 18th century in eastern Romania and some other parts of Eastern Europe, Purim spiels had evolved into broad-ranging satires with music and dance, for which the story of Esther was little more than a pretext. By the mid-19th century, some routines were based on other stories, such as Joseph sold by his brothers, Daniel, or the Binding of Isaac. Since satire was deemed inappropriate for a synagogue, these events were usually performed outdoors in the synagogue courtyard.

Modern practice[]

Purim spiels are performed annually in many American synagogues,^[3] and are still performed in many European communities. In France, Purim plays continue to be widely performed, particularly in active Ashkenazi communities.^[2]

In many modern-day synagogues, a Purim spiel is an informal theatrical production with costumed participants, often including children. Purim spiels often include parodies of popular songs or well-known musicals.^[3][4][5] Typically, each congregation writes its own new Purim spiel every year, or acquires a new script from elsewhere.^[6] Purim spiels are often used to satirically address modern social and political issues through the biblical narrative, "using the ancient story to poke fun at current reality."^[7][8]

Other traditional forms of Purim spiel have included puppet shows for children, reenacting the Purim story with the Purim characters performing comic antics.^{[citation needed]}

References[]

Further reading[]

• Beregovsky, Moisei (2001). Beregovska, E. (ed.). Purimshpili: Yevreyskiye narodnyye muzykal'no-teatral'nyye predstavleniya Пуримшпили: Еврейские народные музыкально-театральные представления [Purimspiels: Jewish folk music and theatrical performances] (in Russian). Kiev: Duh i Litera. Archived from the original on 2019-01-28.