(Courtesy of Fleetwood Synagogue) This past Sunday, kids (and adults) came together to prep, shape and roll out their own hamantaschen. Each baker got their own dough and station to set up. Next came the tasty fillings: chocolate spread, strawberry jelly, and blueberry pie filling, plus sprinkles to roll into the dough. While some hamantaschen were the traditional triangle shape and others were more “freeform,” each was delicious.

While the hamentaschen were baking everyone had a chance to make their own groggers and enjoy a pizza dinner. For the groggers, kids took empty plastic water bottles and filled them with beans, lentils and dried rice. The bottles were then decorated with all sorts of silly decorations like googly eyes, tissue paper, pipe cleaners and sparkles. This activity was a noise-making success!

On Erev Purim, right before Megillah reading, kids held a mystery mishloach manot exchange. First, revelers in full costume decorated a paper plate that was then shaped into a hamantaschen. They were then filled with candy and ready to go. All the kids’ names were placed into a hat and drawn at random to represent the pur in Purim. Then kids got to exchange their mishloach manot and enjoy their treats

It was a freilichen Purim at Fleetwood Synagogue in Mt. Vernon, N.Y.!