Purimpalooza

Last Monday night, the 14th of Adar, we went to San Francisco for Purimpalooza. Happy birthday Rabbi Langer!

This is during the first reading of the megillah. Mayor was reading, and that's Rabbi Langer on the left and Rabbi Langer's son-in-law Peretz in the middle. We missed the beginning of this reading, so we had to hear it again.


Yonah, Phil, and Danny.

This is during the second reading.

Avi and Sarah.

Ze'ev Padway, from the Beis Midrash in Berkeley.

That's Sarah, Arezou, and Matisyahu.

Hannah and Shmuel.

Yonah and Phil. Shkoiach Yonah for rockin' the "G-O-D."

Levi Welton, dressed to impress.

Cookie and Talia. Talia is engaged! Mazal tov!


For more pictures from Purimpalooza, click here.


The doors opened at 6:30 and the megillah reading started at 7:00. We waited in line about an hour and didn't get in until about 7:30, so we missed the first half of the megillah reading. Luckily, we caught a second megillah reading (there ended up being four the whole evening).

So I missed most of Moshav Band. A piece of advice to Rabbi Langer for next year: give more time between when the doors open to when the megillah reading starts, and make an announcement for the other megillah readings.

Anyway, from what I saw, Moshav Band rocked the house (and I heard they got signed on by Sony recently?). So from when I heard the kriyah and broke the fast and started my drinking, things get a little hazy.

I remember I saw a bunch of the Berkeley chevre. I even saw Avi and Rachel! I went to the Hebrew U. with Avi last year, and he brought me to Bat Ayin for Shabbos one time. Him and Rachel have since moved back to the U.S. and had a baby! I also saw Nechama Marcus, sister of Shmueli Marcus from 8th Day.

Yeah, so Peter Himmelman, Chutzpah, and DJ Peretz (Perry Farrell) all performed. There wasn't anything too memorable from the end of Moshav Band until DJ Peretz. I was really diggin' his electronica though, although not everyone was so into it. Finally Matisyahu came on.

People can criticize Matis' new CD all they want, but his live performances are consistently amazing. I pushed my way to the front in order to get some sweet shots for the JewniProj. I also got a bunch of video that hopefully I'll be able to upload soon. Also, Michael Franti of Spearhead did a surprise performance with Matisyahu. After Matis, DJ Alex Graham spun some more electronica, and the mechitza finally got some use.

So we got back to the parking garage on O'Farrell and Ellis at 1:15am, only to find out that it closes at 1am. It was raining and freezing. So we hurried back to Ruby Skyye to find someone to help us. I started yelling, "who wants to take four Yidden home for five hours?" but no one helped. At that point I was drunk enough and tired enough that I had resolved to sleep on the sidewalk. But finally, we were saved by an angel.

Chani Cominker, of Chabad of San Francisco, drove us at 2am to the Chabad school, gave us pillows and blankets, and then drove us back to our car at 8am. No one else even tried to help. It's the kindness of people like her that make this world a better place. Thank you Chani.

In the end, thank G-d, everything worked out the way it was supposed to.