Video: A Purim tale, ‘Drunk all year, but sober on Purim,’ in Yiddish with English subtitles
by Mayer Kirshenblatt
By Forverts Staff March 14, 2024
Just as American Jews enjoy celebrating Purim each year, Jewish residents of the Eastern European shtetl did so with great fanfare.
Homemakers sent their maids or children off with gifts of food, known as shalekh-mones, to deliver to nearby relatives and friends; alms were given to the poor, and children (and occasionally adults) dressed in costume. Come Purim afternoon, everyone either hosted or joined a festive sude (feast) to commemorate the Jewish victory in ancient Persia over the wicked Haman, who tried to annihilate the Jewish people. According to Jewish law, the celebrants are supposed to eat and drink without restraint.
In this Purim tale, “Drunk all year, sober on Purim” by the classic Yiddish writer I.L. Peretz, a would-be tzadik (saintly man) dreams of becoming a righteous man, but is diverted by a turkey. Master story-teller Shane Baker recites the tale in the original Yiddish, accompanied by English subtitles.
A message from Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forverts' 127-year legacy — and its bright future.
In the past, the goal of the Forverts was to Americanize its readers, to encourage them to learn English well and to acculturate to American society. Today, our goal is the reverse: to acquaint readers — especially those with Eastern European roots — with their Jewish cultural heritage, through the Yiddish language, literature, recipes and songs.
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