The fair is a community event held each year by the Informal Education Administration’s Supplementary Education Division, in cooperation with the Absorption Center, the Ministry of Absorption and the Municipal Absorption Department.  The event was organized by members of the Children’s Parliament and members of TZAMERET (the Zionist Council’s youth organization), who work on behalf of Raanana’s new immigrants during the course of the year.  The children collected costumes from all of Raanana’s schools and donated them to the new immigrants who will be celebrating Purim in Israel for the first time.

The new immigrants participated in arts and crafts workshops in which they prepared three dimensional masks, noisemakers and clown hats. Also participating in the event were Pirchei Raanana Choir, Efrochei Raanana Dance Troupe and children from the Children’s Studios, the school of performing arts , communications and multimedia.

The event was attended by Mayor Nahum Hofree and Deputy Mayor Aryeh Friedman, director of Informal Education.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “Raanana’s children, members of the Children’s Parliament and TZAMERET, invested a great deal on behalf of the new immigrants, in planning this colorful event. This is the first time that the new immigrants will be celebrating Purim in Israel and I am pleased that they have been given this opportunity to become introduced to the tradition and to experience the atmosphere of this joyous holiday.”

Deputy Mayor Aryeh Friedman welcomed the new immigrants who arrived in Israel this year and invited them to the Adloyada Purim Parade, which has become a Raanana tradition.

In the photo:  Arts and crafts at the Costume Fair.  Photography courtesy of the Raanana Municipality.