Join The Hive and Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival for an experiential drive-thru filled with live dance, music, and merriment as we bring the ancient voices of the Purim story to life.
Whereas this year we are not able to gather in the traditional sense, we are grateful to still bring community together to experience the festivities of Purim from your car. Buckle up for an entertaining afternoon, including original performances from San Diego Ballet and vignettes curated by the San Diego Repertory Theatre!
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can, valued at $18/person
Unmasking the Details:
- What is Purim?
- Purim is a joyous holiday that affirms and celebrates Jewish survival and continuity throughout history. Traditionally, Purim is celebrated by reading the Book of Esther (m’gillat Esther) which tells the story of the holiday. Our story begins in Shushan, an ancient city in Iran, 160 miles from the Tigris River. Under the rule of King Ahashverosh, Haman, the king’s adviser, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction. The reading of the Purim story is often a raucous environment with cheers and boos and lots of celebrating. Since we can’t gather for a traditional reading, we have reinvented the telling of the Purim story through a series of performances that you will experience from the safety of your car.
- How does Pay-What-You-Can work?
- Our number one priority is keeping these experiences open and accessible to all who want to attend. Admission is “valued at $18/person” because that is what we would charge in a traditional sales structure. We encourage you to pay whatever amount feels comfortable for you. Some participants choose to “pay it forward” and pay over the suggested price to cover those who can’t. Regardless of the amount you contribute, we are so excited to have you join us on this behind the mask tour of Shushan!
- How long is the program?
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You should plan on the experiences taking approximately 30 minutes from the time of your scheduled arrival.
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- What do I need to bring?
- Please bring a smartphone to access the audio tracks that will guide you through the experience. When you arrive, you will be greeted by a member of our team and you will use the camera function on your smartphone to scan a barcode that will lead you to the audio tracks. You are welcomed to participate in our canned goods donation as well.
- Why are we encouraged to bring canned foods?
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Purim is a day for celebrating how much kindness we can give to others. In fact, on Purim we are obligated to give two forms of gifts. The first is Matanot L’evyonim, gifts to the poor. The second is Mishloach Manot, which is Hebrew for “sending of portions.” Mishloach Manot are gifts of food given to family, friends and community members. If you are able, we are asking our participants to bring dry goods that will be donated to community members in need
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- Is the program appropriate for children?
- This program was designed for an adult audience. While there is not any inappropriate content in the experience, the theatrical dialogue and audio tracks were created for adults.
- What safety protocols will you have in place?
- Safety of our participants, staff, and actors is our number one priority. All staff working the event will be masked at all times. We request that our participants also wear masks at any time the car windows are rolled down. We are fortunate that we were able to find dancers and actors that are already in a pod together. All actors will be tested within 3 days before the event. There are moments where the actors will be unmasked, but our participants will be more than 10 feet away, inside of their cars. There will be one opportunity, if you choose to participate, to get out of the car for a picture in our photo booth (no actors present at this station). Participants will be distanced from each other and masks are required.
- How do we sign up as a group?
- Each car must complete their own registration. If there are multiple cars in your group, please try to coordinate to sign up for the same time slot. Feel free to reach out to Jenny Camhi jenny@thehivesd.org with any questions about group sign-ups.
- What if I arrive early or late from my original registration time?
- This experience includes elements of live theatre performance and therefore on-time arrival is key for the optimal show experience. There are limited spaces available during each time slot. If you arrive early, you will be asked to wait in a holding area until your showtime. If you arrive late, you will be asked to wait in a holding area until the next available opening.
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