They ought to be in pictures
By Anne-Marie Smolski
Friday, March 02, 2007 - Updated: 06:41 PM EST

The Wellesley-Weston Chabad Center’s Purim Around the World celebration promises to be a powerful event this year.

Or more precisely, some of the young participants are about to become PowerPoint stars.

In years past, a Megillah slide show has been part of the celebration. But this year, the center has made its own movie for the “Grand Purim (in Mexico)” bash that will take place on March 4 at the Wellesley Community Center. While the live Megillah reading is going on, the accompanying silent movie, presented in a PowerPoint computer program, will feature members of the Chabad Center and the Chabad Hebrew School portraying the various characters in the story.

Held on the 14th day of the lunar month of Adar, Purim memorializes Queen Esther’s prevention of the annihilation of Persian Jews. This occasion is celebrated with a festival of food, entertainment and costumes.

This year, the Wellesley-Weston Chabad is celebrating Purim with a Mexican theme. The menu will include a kosher Mexican buffet dinner, complete with beef tacos, chicken and vegetarian burritos and fajitas, gazpacho, Mexican rice, chili verde, guacamole, bean salads and Mexican desserts. And, there will be plenty of drink at the Mexican open bar.

DJ Pedro will provide Mexican, Chassidic and Israeli music for all to sing and dance to, and guests are invited to come in Mexican costume if they so choose. In fact, all they have to do to get a prize is show up in costume.

Other highlights are a chance to win tickets to a Yanks-Sox game with the rabbi, and special live entertainment for little ones. And, of course, there will be graggers (noisemakers) and hammentashen (a three-cornered filled cookie or pastry served at Purim) for all.

The festivities begin at 4 p.m. on March 4 at the Wellesley Community Center at 219 Washington St. Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for children/students, and free for children 5 and younger. To RSVP, call 781-239-1076.

Other Purim-related events taking place at the Wellesley-Weston Chabad Center, 793 Worcester St. (Route 9 West), Wellesley Hills, include a Shabbat morning services followed by a Kiddush in honor of Purim Saturday, March 3, at 10 a.m., and reading the Megillah, Lichaims and Purim Spirit Saturday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.