The Port Jewish Center will fill its kitchens with flour, sugar and the smell of freshly baked hamantaschen during its annual Hamantasch-A-Thon on Sunday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The communitywide celebration of Purim at the Port Washington Jewish Center will feature hands-on baking sessions for all ages, along with storytelling and festive drinks.
Rabbi Alysa Mendelson Graf said the event reflects her broader goal of engaging the senses to create lasting Jewish memories.
“My goal as a rabbi is to create Jewish opportunities for people to really use all of their senses in experiencing Jewish life,” she said. “That’s why I bake fresh challah for our Friday night services and for our religious school students. I want our building to smell like Jewish life.”
Hamantaschen, the triangular cookies traditionally eaten on Purim, are among the holiday’s most beloved treats. Mendelson Graf said the idea for the Hamantasch-A-Thon began with a simple goal: ensuring that every child in the synagogue community knew how to make them.
It quickly expanded into an open invitation for the broader Port Washington community, including those not affiliated with a synagogue and those who are not Jewish.
“Everyone likes cookies, and everyone likes to bake,” Mendelson Graf said. “Why not make this a day of baking something delicious and just spending time together doing something fun and joyful?”
The day’s schedule includes themed sessions designed to bring generations together.
At 10 a.m., “Mini & Me” invites preschool-aged children and their grownups to make their own hamantaschen, followed by story time while the cookies bake.
At 11 a.m., “Bubbe & Me” encourages grandparents, grandchildren and extended family members, or anyone seeking an intergenerational experience, to bake side by side. Organizers say they will help pair participants if needed for the hourlong session.
At 1 p.m., “Margarita & Me” offers adults the chance to bake while enjoying a cocktail or mocktail in the spirit of the holiday.
Purim commemorates the biblical story of Queen Esther, who finds the courage to speak out and save her people. Mendelson Graf said the holiday’s themes remain deeply relevant.
“The hero of the Purim story is Esther, who struggles to find the courage to use her voice,” she said. “It shows that it’s not always easy, but it’s imperative. There’s joy in this holiday, and there’s also obligation, the obligation to use your voice to change the world.”
In addition to baking, the synagogue’s religious school students observe the Purim tradition of giving to those in need. For several months, students collect tzedakah, or charity, culminating in a group shopping trip to purchase groceries for the food pantry at Our Lady of Fatima. The partnership between the two neighboring congregations has become an annual tradition.
“We want our kids to understand the value of a dollar and how hard it can be to put food on the table,” Mendelson Graf said. “We want to be living the values of Jewish life.”
Some of the hamantaschen baked during the event will be packaged as mishloach manot, traditional Purim gift bags, and distributed to members of the community. Others, Mendelson Graf said, are often eaten before they’ve fully cooled.
Mendelson Graf described the synagogue as “small but mighty” and said the Hamantasch-A-Thon is an opportunity for newcomers to experience its welcoming spirit.
“If you’ve been looking to find a place that feels like home, that’s this place,” she said. “Come and make some cookies with us.”
The Port Washington Jewish Center is located at 20 Manorhaven Blvd. For more information, email info@portjewishcenter.org or visit www.portjewishcenter.org/hamantaschathon.
