The story of Purim weaves together themes of hidden identity, togetherness, and stepping into your power. Taking place in Shushan, the ancient city in Persia, Purim can be a festive and empowering celebration for all. Join us for an experiential Shabbat evening infused with Persian flavor, and learning from our esteemed guests, Arya Marvazy and The Empress Mizrahi! Together, they’ll help us explore how we might apply Purim’s theme of finding ourselves through our own disguises to step into our authenticity.
To complement the experience and celebrate an aspect of Purim – costumes – all attendees are invited to show up in attire reflecting the theme “Come as your true self!” Though there is no pressure to participate!
Guests will have the choice to purchase a table (up to six guests) for their own pod, or sit at a community table to make new friends (register soon – we can only honor GF and vegan dietary preferences submitted by Monday, March 7th)!
Because this event is centered around a meal, we are requiring that all guests be fully vaccinated and show proof upon entry (either virtual QR code or the physical card in-hand). We also encourage our guests to get boosted. We are capping the event at 30 guests.
Brought to you by:
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The Empress Mizrahi, aka Matthew Nouriel, is a non-binary content creator of Iranian Jewish descent living in Los Angeles, California. In recent years, The Empress Mizrahi has been using their voice to passionately advocate and fight for the causes they believe in, namely LGBTQ+ rights and equality within the Iranian and Jewish communities, and combating antisemitism. They have taken on leadership roles with both queer and non queer organizations such as JDC Entwine, JQ International, Tel Aviv Institute as a Digital Producer, and most recently joined the team at JIMENA – Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and N orth Africa. In 2021 they were the recipient of the TrailBlazer Award at the JQ International annual Impact Awards.
Arya Marvazy,
Community Organizer, Activist, & Educator
Arya (he/him) is a first-generation American born to Iranian-Jewish immigrants from Tehran. For nearly 15 years, Arya has cultivated his leadership in Jewish communal service at Hillel on campus, Hillel International, and JQ International. A proud queer Jew who is passionate about empowering diverse Jewish identity, enriching equitable Jewish community, and ensuring inclusive pathways toward Jewish continuity, Arya has also served as a lay leader with other Jewish orgs including JDC Entwine, JPro, AJC, Schusterman’s ROI community, and others. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Programs at the Jews of Color Initiative.
Arya earned his B.A. in psychology at the University of California San Diego, and an M.A. in organizational behavior at New York University.
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