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Rabbi Dan Sikowitz explained in simplified terms the significance of Purim: "Almost every Jewish holiday is where they tried to kill us, we overcame, let's eat," Sikowitz joked.

The story of Purim comes from the Book of Ester, in which Ester was selected to be the wife of Persian King Ahasuerus after his previous beautiful wife, Vashti, refused to dance for his guests.

Ester did not reveal to the king that she was Jewish. Her cousin and foster father, Mordecai, had witnessed men plotting to kill the king, and used this information to save his life.

Mordecai was not rewarded for this, but it was written down in the royal records. Ahasuerus chose Haman to be his royal advisor, and when Haman presented himself to the subjects, Mordecai refused to kneel, saying Jews kneel only to God.

Haman was furious, and plotted genocide against all the Jews in the kingdom. He decided that this would take place on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar.

Ester revealed that she was Jewish, and begged for mercy for her people. The king could not nullify the decree, but granted the Jewish people the right to defend themselves from attacks.

Mordecai was rewarded for his earlier service to the king, and became the new royal advisor, replacing Haman, who is hanged from the gallows built for Mordecai.

Purim is the celebration of the Jewish victory over those who tried to kill them due to the decree. Mordecai declared that there would be an annual celebration on the 14th of Adar, which was Sunday.

Haman's role as the villain in the story is commemorated in games, such as pin the hat on Haman, and through the hamantaschen, or triangular cookies, which recognize Haman's tri-cornered hat, Sikowitz said.

The children in the congregation played several types of games, winning stickers for each game, and every child picked a prize, from Matchbox cars to plush animals.

Dara Markowitz, Kol Ami's director of religious education, said much of the enjoyment of the celebration is directed at children.

She said she worked to ensure that children of all ages had something fun to do, whether it was coloring on a cardboard fort called Ester's Castle, or playing joust on a moon bounce.

Markowitz said the point of the games was just to have fun and not be too competitive, although the joust game came close. "It's not really jousting, it's tilting," she said.

Brooke Bowman, 13, was helping run the pin-the-hat-on-Haman game, spinning blindfolded children around and directing them toward a board with an evil-looking caricature of the villain drawn on it. She said that most of the kids who played got the hat pretty close to his head, and therefore got a sticker. "Some on got Haman in the eye," she said.

Costumes are also prevalent, and most who dress up opt to re-create characters from the story. There were many children who came as Queen Ester, Mordecai and even a few who dressed as Haman, but there were also a few other characters like Spider-Man, Batman and Darth Vader.

Zoe Star, 8, chose to dress up as the villain, Haman, wearing a black cape, a tri-cornered hat and carrying a curved sword.

Austin McMahon, 7, who was dressed in his Darth Vader costume from Halloween, minus the mask, said that he most enjoyed eating the fruit-filled hamantaschen.

Sikowitz said that Purim is like Halloween in this regard; it's about letting loose and enjoying oneself.

In many synagogues, the rabbi is also supposed to be drunk, but Sikowitz declined. "I'm not much of a drinker," he said.

E-mail Christian Brown at chbrown@gazette.net.