The temperatures have risen, the days are now longer, and the Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) has been preparing for Purim with its typical festive spirit. As in years past, the holiday is an opportunity for students to break out their best costumes and celebrate together with a week of events.
And no class has been more active in the planning and execution of these events than the YUHSG class of 2025. With less than three months before graduation, the senior class is determined to make every moment count – and celebrating Purim is a time to do just that. As senior class grade representatives, Hannah Azose and Jo Schiffer were instrumental in coordinating these events.
“As seniors, second semester is such an important time for us to be involved in all the activities at Central,” they said, “especially during Adar, when we have dress-up days, carnivals, and gradewide Purim parties.”
Festivities began the week prior to Purim, with senior dress-up days including “decades day,” “rhyme without reason” day (featuring such mismatched pairs as “beauty queen and nerdy teen,” or “Domingo and flamingo”), and – of course – the highly-anticipated “dress like a teacher” day, in which seniors emulated the style of their favorite faculty member. A new addition to this year’s schedule: a corresponding YUHSG faculty “dress like a student” day, an event that amused more than one student as the teachers broke out their best sweatshirts, leggings, and Adidas.
On Wednesday, March 12, for YUHSG’s schoolwide Shushan Purim celebration, each faculty department was tasked with deciding on their own costume. In a nod to the Ides of March, the Humanities Department dressed as Julius Caesar, with the Judaic Studies faculty dressing as the Ten Plagues, and the Math faculty dressing as Dr. Seuss’ Things 1, 2, and ⯑ (for those who have not visited a math class lately, that’s 3.14159265359…). A sea of student costumes was also on display, from the classic choices – cowboys, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Minnie Mouse, Ennui and Anger from Inside Out 2 – to more unusual choosings (example: a group of seniors dressed as goldfish in a plastic bag).
The day brought a Purim DJ and dance party in the cafe, a round of “the Masked Singer,” hosted by YUHSG’s G.O., and a Kahoot presented by the school’s F.I.R.E. Fellows. The day’s highlight, however, was the legendary senior Purim shpiel – followed by the equally legendary faculty Purim shpiel.
On Wednesday evening, gradewide Purim mesibos were held for freshmen at the Marmer home of Great Neck, while sophomores gathered at the Rosenstock home in West Hempstead, the juniors at the Goldman home in West Hempstead, and the seniors at the Reshke home in Holliswood.
The following Thursday, Taanis Esther, brought a schoolwide discussion about contributing to klal Yisrael before an early dismissal to prepare for Megillah reading and evening celebrations.
Purim was a high point of the spring semester, but there’s more to come: Upcoming events include important matches for YUHSG Model Congress and History Bowl on Sunday, March 16, the junior class trip to the Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University on Monday, March 17, the freshman-sophomore Shabbaton on the YUHSG campus March 28 and 29, and the YUHSG Robotics Club’s second competition, hosted by CIJE, on Monday, March 31.
