Megillah Mayhem

So last night we walked to the synagogue for Purim services and festivities.  Uh, things were CRAY-ZEE.   Rabbi Blumofe was dressed as the Thing--mask and all, and Rabbi Kobrin was dressed as Bat-Mitzvah girl.    We couldn't hear a thing that was going on....children were running all over and the adults were all talking.  I was annoyed.  Yeah, it's a festive holiday, but we are in the middle of religious services!  There was an open bar at the back of the sanctuary and people were partaking freely.  I don't think that helped the noise level.  Don't get me wrong, you are supposed to make noise during Purim, during the reading of the Megillah, but not continuously.

Other highlights of the costumes: Captain Jewmerica, and a man dressed as Glinda the Good Witch (our favorite, even though it raises questions about the appropriateness of cross-dressing in the synagogue.)

Oh, and then there was the interactive portion of the services.  They had questions projected on a screen and you could answer by texting with your cell phone. Uh, what?  Ross and I didn't bring anything, much less our cell phones.  The questions were silly.  They were about the story we were reading, but they were also (in code) begging for inappropriate answers: Esther touches the King's scepter, inappropriate?  This led to all sorts of inappropriate stuff being texted--and then showing up on the screen. The word penis kept popping up.  I was a little mortified. I don't know whose idea the texting thing was, but it was a BAD idea, especially with the open bar.

After the reading of the Megillah and the spiel (play), we filed out into the social hall for more drinks, and some food.  There was not enough food.  Here are all these people drinking, and they quickly ran out of hamantaschen.  They had some crackers and lots of sugary stuff.  The Rabbi's son was the DJ.  The bar had moved into the social hall and people were still drinking.  And then I saw them....jello shots! Jello shots! Well, I did have a jello shot and some jelly beans.  After that we walked home, making sure to stay out of the street--who knows if the rest of the crowd had designated drivers....

I can't say I really had fun.  I sort of feel like an old fuddy-duddy.  I sort of feel like a prude.  I just feel like it would have been more fun if everyone had shut up during the reading of the Megillah and made deafening noise when they were supposed to...instead of talking up a steady roar so we could barely hear when we were supposed to make noise.