{"id":317736,"date":"2026-03-02T10:50:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T10:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/317736\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T10:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T10:50:08","slug":"kkl-jnf-unveils-purim-celebration-archival-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/317736\/","title":{"rendered":"KKL-JNF unveils Purim celebration archival photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Israel marks Purim under the shadow of ongoing war, moments of shared joy feel especially significant. In that spirit, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael\u2013Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF<\/a>) unveiled a rare collection of archival photographs that documented Purim celebrations in the Land of Israel and Jewish communities around the world.<\/p>\n

The photographs, dating from the 1920s through the 1950s, captured the vitality and communal creativity that defined the holiday during the British Mandate period and the early years of the State of Israel. Though preserved in black and white, the images conveyed unmistakable warmth: children in handmade costumes, crowds filling city streets, and elaborate parade floats rolling past decorated gateways.<\/p>\n

Even before the establishment of the state, residents of the Yishuv spent weeks preparing for Purim. Costumes were stitched at kitchen tables, often from modest materials, and floats were carefully constructed in anticipation of public parades that transformed urban centers into stages of celebration. In Tel Aviv<\/a>, the annual Purim procession became such a defining cultural event that in 1932 it was officially given the name \u201cAdloyada,\u201d derived from the rabbinic phrase describing the mitzvah to drink \u201cuntil one no longer knows\u201d the difference between blessed Mordechai and cursed Haman. Over time, the name became synonymous with the exuberant spirit of Purim festivities throughout Israel.<\/p>\n

Archival images from Jerusalem revealed similar enthusiasm. Residents of all ages took part in the festivities, designing ornate costumes and imaginative displays. One striking photograph shows a large parade float shaped like a lion, the emblem of the city, crafted from paper-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 and rolled proudly through crowded streets. The effort invested in these displays reflected not only artistic ingenuity but also deep civic pride.<\/p>\n

The holiday\u2019s excitement was not confined to the Land of Israel. KKL-JNF\u2019s archive also documented celebrations abroad, including children dressed in costume in London<\/a> and Rome. Their outfits, carefully assembled and often handmade, stand as testimony to the continuity of tradition across continents. These photographs appeared alongside images of grand parades in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, illustrating how Purim\u2019s spirit transcended geography.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud to present the joy of Purim<\/a> as captured over the decades through the lenses of KKL-JNF photographers,\u201d said Efrat Sinai, Director of KKL-JNF\u2019s Archives. \u201cAlthough the photographs were taken in black and white, the atmosphere and the great effort invested in preparing the handmade costumes can be immediately felt. It is always moving to recall how this special holiday was celebrated here and in the Diaspora, much as it is today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond nostalgia, the collection offered a subtle reminder. Many of the photographs were taken during periods marked by political uncertainty and social strain. Yet communities gathered, created and celebrated. Purim, a holiday rooted in the narrative of vulnerability transformed into survival, was embraced with music, craftsmanship, and public pageantry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Israel marks Purim under the shadow of ongoing war, moments of shared joy feel especially significant. In…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317737,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,25362,132002,158450,18266,43,147971],"class_list":{"0":"post-317736","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-jewish-holidays","11":"tag-kkl","12":"tag-kkl-israel","13":"tag-kkl-jnf","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-purim"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}