Adapted from the Hebrew by Chas. Blumenthal, Principal Buffalo Hebrew School.
CHARACTERS.
ABRAHAM LEVY, ANNETTE, his wife, AARON. { JOSEPH FREDA, } Their children, MAX, } CLARA, } SAMUEL NATHAN, uncle of Abraham Levy, HYMAN, his son, AHASUERUS, HAMAN, MORDECAI, CHARVONA, ESTHER.
SCENE.
Dining room in Abraham Levy's house.Table in center of room, with chairs aroundit. On table the tea-machine, cups and adish full of Haman-Tashen. Seated aroundtable the entire Levy family and SamuelNathan and his son Hyman. Mrs. Levyis serving Haman-Tashen to the children.Modern costumes.
AARON. Mother, what is to-day? Shevuos?
ANNETTE. No, dear Aaron, don't you know that Shevuos comes in summer? To-day is Purim.
AARON. Purim! What is Purim?
HYMAN (winking at his father). He does not even know what Purim is.
JOSEPH. Neither do I know what Purim is, and what of that? Is a man obliged to know everything?
SAMUEL NATHAN. No, no, dear Joseph. We certainly are not obliged to know everything. But every Jew ought to know his own holidays, and if he does not, it is, indeed, a great shame.
ANNETTE. Children, do not any of you know what Purim is? Let him who knows raise his hand. (Freda and Max raise their hands.) Tell me now, Freda, what is Purim?
FREDA. On Purim a Jew rode on some kind of a horse, I don't know his name.
MAX (jumping out of his seat). No, no,that isn't right. Freda don't know anything. I know. On Purim they hangedon a tree some kind of a woman. Oh, yes,
that's right, that's right, I know. On Purim they hanged all the Jews on one tree. The Jews didn't like to let themselves be hanged, but they couldn't help themselves. Isn't that it, mamma? Didn't I guess it? I guess I know.
(Abraham, Annette, Nathan, and Hyman all laughing loudly.)
SAMUEL NATHAN (shaking his head sadly). Yes, yes, we have reached a fine period surely. It is thus in a Jewish home nowadays! This is the way the Jews are training their children now! Alas for these days! But no, no. Such a state of affairs cannot last long.
ABRAHAM. Just wait, uncle. Let's try them again. Not very long ago the children had a German book which told something about Purim. They surely have read it, but must have forgotten it. (Turning to the children.) Children, do you remember what you read in that book?
JOSEPH. No, papa, we did not read that book. We read a better book than that, detective stories. The book you gave us was not very interesting. John told me that. You know John —the washerwoman's son. He read a little of it and said it wasn't a bit nice.
CLARA (rising). Mother, isn't to-day a day when nice pudding is served? Then I know what Purim is. On Purim we eat round flat cakes full of little holes. The holes are made very nice and straight, as if sewed on a sewing machine. Oh, yes, I know what they are. They are called Matzos.
SAMUEL NATHAN (holding his sides with laughter). Ha-ha-ha. A very nice comedy, indeed, upon my honor. Well, well, what do you think of that, my dear Abraham! Believe me, it would be a fine joke were it not so serious. (Laughs ironically, turning to Mrs. Levy.) And you, Annette, tell me I pray, does not your heart ache to see how ignorant your children are of the Jewish religion? Will children like these ever be Jews?
ABRAHAM (rising). It is true, uncle, but what can we do? Everybody is the same, and we cannot be the exception to the rule.
SAMUEL NATHAN. No, my friends, not I, but you are, indeed, the exception to the rule . The Jewish people are now being stirred to life. The young generation is