Each year, Adas Israel tries to outdo itself at Purim. Enough already. Let’s have the Megillah read, and have a clever Purim spiel in the interstices. This year we had a skit based on The Survivors, one based on Family Feud, one based on an Abba song, and one I had a hard time understanding and an equally hard time remembering.

There was an enormous crowd. The sanctuary, including most of the balcony, was just about full. That is, I believe, well over 1000 people. About half were masked – some wearing costumes, and some avoiding COVID. I went as a famous blogger, but Edie was a fire chief, and granddaughter Joan was Esther before she became the queen. Know how she dressed then? It was modest and attractive…..but when Joan asked me who she was, I guessed that she was a nun. I got an eye roll. Joan’s Dad read chapter 6 and was on the losing team at Family Feud. The two of us tried to figure out the rules of the show, so that we could understand why his team lost, but we failed at that. Does anyone really watch Family Feud anyway? Anyone I know?

Hamantaschen. What makes a hamantaschen a hamantaschen? And what is the plural of hamantaschen? Is it hamantaschen? And if the plural of hamantaschen is hamantaschen, what is the singular of hamantaschen? Is it hamantaschen, or is it hamantasch? How can I be 80 and not know this, anyway?

I had four hamantaschen today. Three were poppy seed. Two from Breads Unlimited, and one at Adas Israel. The fourth was cherry marzipan. It was made by daughter Michelle. All good, but Michelle’s was the best. Except that it had no poppy seed.

I see I didn’t answer the question about what makes a hamantasch(en) a hamantasch(en). The answer, I think, is that it has three corners – it’s a triangle. Usually, it is sweet, but there is now a trend towards savory.

Which brings me to lunch. I had lunch at Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park. Never heard of it? It’s my second time there – the first time was probably a year ago, when I was still masked everywhere and ate at an outside table.

I had a chicken crepe for lunch – chicken, onions, tomatoes and green peppers – cooked to perfection. And the crepe was three cornered. I think I had a hamantasch(en)! Who knew?

Dinner? What did I have for dinner? At Adas, before the reading, there was an enormous crowd in the social hall – and a fair amount of food (and drink). I had a slice of pizza (I’d give it a B-/C+), and that was dinner.

Of course, the tradition is to drink until you can’t tell Mordechai from Haman. I could never figure out the basis of that dumb tradition. But I will say this – there were a lot of people at Adas Israel that I could not identify. I am sure that part of it was that some of them had masks (one kind or the other). But many didn’t, and as to those people whom I couldn’t identify, I decided that maybe it’s because they did have masks on, but that the masks were masks that looked like faces and that if they took off their masks I would know them. I tried to gauge them by height and weight and walk. But they all looked like The Stranger, and they all melded together. If without drinking (or at least without drinking more than sparkling water) I couldn’t tell one congregant from the other, how much would I have to drink to confuse Haman and Mordechai? Not much, I fear. I will let you know.