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Allow me to offer a wrap up of the Purim activities at Chabad of Port Washington:
What a Purim this was! More than 400 people celebrated with us on Thursday night, between the Shul service  and the youth service which included entertainment by a stilt walking jugglerand a costume contest. The halls throughout the building were packed with people roaming, coming and going from one service to the other, chatting, meeting friends and enjoying the festive atmosphere. By far, this was the largest Purim crowd this Chabad House has even seen.
 After the services, the Purim Dinner began. Over 180 people sat down to a Chinese buffet dinner at reserved seats. The room was packed to capacity. The waitresses offered excellent service, including at the bar which was busy all night long. The highlight of the event – hands down – was the entertainment. The Machatanim Band led by Bobbie Blues (aka Robert Brenner, also known at Chabad as the Shofar Man) put on a tremendous show. More than a dozen musicians took part in an evening filled with music from every style and for every taste: Jewish, Yiddish, country, rock, kamakazie, Fiddler music, you name it! Original Bobbie Blues compositions such as the Graggar Blues added excitement to the evening. What a joyous evening this was! Big thank you to Bobbie Blues, the “Mechutan” Noam Segal, and the entire cast of musicians!
Big thank you also to the volunteers who helped arrange the Purim baskets for the community and who helped distribute them. Thank you to the Chabad Sisterhood for taking the lead with the project and Sharon Lee for her expertise in making it all happen. BIG thank you to Marina Shapiro who delivered the lion’s share of the baskets. Thank you Marina!
 During Purim day we had two more Megillah readings. The Chabad Teen Club under the leadership of Rabbi Weinberg also read the Megillah and brought Purim cheer to the Sands Point Nursing Home. We also had volunteer Yeshiva boys read the Megillah in two store locations in town for local merchants.
Not to forget about our Islanders Purim event!  More than 250 people joined our group at the game where a one minute message which I presented was aired before the crowd. Clock here for photos and video. I want to thank Rick Cohen for making this possible through his contact with the Islanders. What a mitzvah you did, Rick, to bring a somewhat unknown Jewish holiday of Purim before 20,000 fans!
I take the liberty to add a plug for Rick’s car business. He has not asked me to do this, but I feel indebted for all his kindness. He does car leases and sales on a very large scale across the country and can meet or beat any deal plus offers unsurpassed service. If you need to lease or purchase a car please be so kind as to give Rick a chance to quote it. He is reachable at www.northshoremotor.com
All in all – what a great Purim!
Rabbi Shalom M. Paltiel
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