Event celebrates spring break early

The Hillel Center was filled with sand, leis and hamentaschen Monday as Jewish students observed Purim with the first annual "Jews Gone Wild" celebration.\nAlthough Purim is an age-old tradition, "Jews Gone Wild" is the brainchild of Hillel Assistant Director Jessie Mallor and social chairs, Elizabeth Rosenberg and Peri Berntsen. The group developed the idea to give Jewish students a way to celebrate their traditions while preparing for spring break.\n"This is a really stressful time for students," Mallor said. "We just wanted to give them a silly, fun interlude before the break."\nThe runaway hit of the party was the hamentaschen, a triangular pastry shaped to match the hat of Hamen, the holiday's prime villain. The treats were filled with apple, blueberry and cherry jelly and delighted everyone's palettes.\n"The food is definitely the best part," freshman Robbie Cantor said. "The hamentaschen is delicious."\nThe center decorum was festive, resembling an indoor Hawaiian luau. Streamers covered the entranceways and celebraters donned orange, yellow and green leis. Hula hoops lorded over one corner, with a sign reading "Hula Hoop Heaven. You know you can rock it." \nIn another room, a piece of purple string was fashioned into a makeshift net, with a sign overhead reading "Fake volleyball. Almost the real thing." Participants stood on either side of the net and bumped, set and spiked a white balloon. \n"You can't hit it twice!" Mallor jokingly yelled as another participant bent the rules. The athletes bounced around the room with only the minor interruption of replacing the volleyballs that popped on the ceiling.\nOutside, students played in the advertised "sandcastle pit" -- an inflatable pool filled with sand, a metal pitcher filled with water and some sand play-tools. \nWhile the attendees had fun at the event, they also reminisced of previous Purim celebrations.\n"We had an old emerald-green prom dress," Mallor said. "My sister and I used to fight over who would get to dress up as Queen Esther. My mom would make an aluminum crown. That was a lot of fun."\nCantor shared similar stories, and said he "would dress up for Sunday school as King Ahashuarus."\nAlthough most participants were not brave enough to dress up as ancient religious figures, all were participating in one event or another. Some were found playing fake volleyball or hula hooping, while others pulled up a pant leg to compete in the "Who's the Palest?" contest. The signage over this event read "If your legs haven't seen sun in six months, you could win."\nAnother table, coined "the Jews bar," was rife with pitchers of orange juice and pink lemonade punch, otherwise known as "exotic kosher juices."\nCantor said the festivities were an inviting way to relax while observing Jewish traditions. \n"Purim serves as a focal point by which all Jews can be united," he said. "It's also a lot of fun."\nRabbi Sue Shifron, director of the IU Hillel Center, said she was delighted people were enjoying the event. Shifron said "Jews Gone Wild" was an entertaining and creative way to celebrate Purim. \n"Purim is great because people of all ages can rejoice," she said. "Plus, I love making hamentaschen."\n-- Contact staff writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.