The Purim story serves as a metaphor for coming out, rising up and living courageously in times of crisis and fear.
The tradition of making noise when Haman’s name is mentioned during the chanting of the Book of Esther is a custom that was developed by our sages over time. The origins of this practice are rooted in the broader Jewish tradition of expressing disdain for Amalek – the ancestor of Haman – and fulfilling the commandment to “blot out the memory of Amalek” (Deuteronomy 25:19).
How do we rise up to “make noise” in this moment against the modern day tyrants that are acute threats to democracy, peace, the climate, and human rights?
Join Lab/Shul for a vibrant array of Purim experiences for all ages, where revelry and radical joy intertwine through SONIC storytelling, interactive art, and immersive ritual celebration.
Click the buttons below or scroll down for all the details on all of our Purim programming.
Now/Next
Dive into the intellectual atmosphere of paradoxes, controversies, and debates at the BESEDA: COJECO Jewish Intellectual Club. With wine and cheese reception. Explore the hidden history and current political purpose of the most misunderstood Jewish holiday with the acclaimed Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie.
Dig into the costume closet for this hamantaschen baking party. Gather for this raucous gathering of costumery, storytelling, and hamantaschen cookie making. FamilyLab's Purim celebration creates lasting memories of a truly inside out, upside down story of integrity, courage, and wild hearted mission to change the world. Stand up and make some noise!
Families in our 2024-2025 "Raising the Bar" cohort join together with Project ORE participants to enjoy a festive meal, share foodie-goodie bags (Mishloach manot) and give/receive necessary items to help folks in need.
How Do We Deal with Our Collective Shadows and Lift Up Our Light? Pull up a chair and Join Rabbi Amichai online to explore the political, historical, spiritual and practical dimensions of Purim - the most misunderstood Jewish holiday - at this critical time. This is an open study session + conversation to make sense of Purim in 2025, activating this holiday of upside-down as a powerful portal for cultivation of courage and compassion, resilience and resistance, humor and joy, with our eye on justice and hope - for all.
Join Lab/Shul and Flaminggg to immerse in a Purim Eve experience, where Sonic revelry and performance art collide to transform sacred Noise into a powerful force for this moment.
News
This Purim’s Purpose? // Expand Empathy + Cultivate Courage
Purim's back! Once again, we flip life upside down to celebrate Jewish resilience and release some steam. And wow—do we need it. But in a time when reality already feels upside down—with continued conflicts, [...]
PURIM 5785: The Art of Sonic Resistance
Where else would you want to be this Purim in a year when our world is turning upside down? Join Lab/Shul & Flaminggg NEXT THURSDAY (3/13) for SONIC - a Purim Eve ritual performance [...]
Lab/Shul Highlights JTA’s Mar 4, 2025 Article by R. Amichai Lau-Lavie & Julie Dorf
Christian conservatives have appropriated Queen Esther as a symbol. Let’s take her back. Written By Amichai Lau-Lavie & Julie Dorf March 4, 2025 Queen Esther is back in the news — and it’s not [...]
✨ SPRING GALA + AFTER PARTY = 6/18/25
👉This year’s GALA HONOREES are four remarkable individuals whose hearts and hands have helped shape the Lab/Shul journey:
👉Marnie Berk & Jon Silvan — Visionary leaders and generous community builders who have walked beside us since our days in Tribeca, guiding us with wisdom, love and justice.
👉Karen Hershey & Larry Green — Creative strategists with giant hearts whose warm embrace lit a path for 20 years of community and connection, both behind the scenes and center stage.
✨Let’s honor those who’ve helped us to become who we are. Join us to step into what’s next.✨
📲LEARN MORE About our honorees and REGISTER — www.labshul.org/gala-2025/
#Labshul #Joinus #gather #shabbat #sabbath #ritual #godoptional #everybodyfriendly #artistdriven #experimentaljudaism #queerjudaism #JewishLife #jewishholidays #jewishevents #jewishtradition #jewishcommunity #gala
🔔 PROGRAM ALERT 🔔
👑 Post-Sabbath Queen Oneg
Friday June 6, 2025
Immediately following Sabbath Queen Ritual
ONLINE
👑 On Friday, June 6, please join us to gather together in community at the ONLINE ONEG immediately following the Sabbath Queen service.
Starting immediately following the ritual and ending by 10pm EST
👑 Hosted over the same Zoom link as for the Sabbath Queen ritual so please remain online after the service ends and make sure that you register for Sabbath Queen.
📲Register through the CALENDAR LINK in our bio to visit: https://www.labshul.org/event/post-sabbath-queen-online-oneg/
#Labshul #Joinus #gather #shabbat #sabbath #ritual #godoptional #everybodyfriendly #artistdriven #oneg #shabbatshalom #experimentaljudaism #queerjudaism #JewishLife #jewishholidays #jewishevents #jewishtradition #jewishcommunity
🔔 **PROGRAM DATE CHANGE** 🔔
Below the Bible Belt Open Conversation
with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
JUNE 10, 2025
5-6pm ET
Online
Join Co-Founder and Senior Spiritual Leader Rabbi @amichailaulavie online for an open conversation about the latest from Below the Bible Belt, Rabbi Amichai’s 3+ years interactive online quest to question, queer + re-read between the lines of the entire Hebrew Bible, daily.
This Zoom session, with gratitude for support, is for paid subscribers of Below the Bible Belt only. A recording of the session will be shared with all subscribers during the following week.
Subscribers will receive the registration link automatically and in a reminder before the event.
CALENDAR LINK in bio or visit: www.labshul.org/event/below-the-bible-belt-open-conversation-with-rabbi-amichai-lau-lavie-3/2025-06-10/
Along with our friends at @bj_nyc, we invite you to explore A Mayoral Candidate Forum for the Jewish Community: A Just and Inclusive NYC — offering a critical opportunity for New York City’s Jewish community to hear directly from the 2025 mayoral candidates about the issues that matter most to us and to engage with those vying for our city’s leadership. In this pivotal time, we seek leaders who will uphold the values of justice, equity, compassion, and opportunity for all New Yorkers. Together, we raise our voices to ensure that the priorities of the Jewish community are represented in the future of New York.
JUNE 8 | online + NYC
Learn more ➡️ bj.org/event/mayoral-candidate-forum-for-the-jewish-community/
This event will be co-moderated by @errol.louis , Political Anchor of Spectrum News NY1 and @amyspitalnick , CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
This event is organized by B’nai Jeshurun, @centralsynagogue @cbebk @mm_jccmanhattan @newyorkjewishagenda
Yesterday, our team was given the gift of gathering—with intention. 🎁 ☺️
Hosted by @trybalgatherings at @campsettoga_jccdaycamp, we changed it up from the usual pace to have the opportunity to deeply connect with our creativity, our spirit, and the sacred. Through guided activities and time in nature, we stepped away from the planning, the programming, and the daily hustle to just ✨ BE. ✨ — we reflected, recharged, and reconnected—with ourselves and each other. It was a reminder of the power of being present - together - and aligned with what matters most and WHY we do what we do!
Want to gather with Lab/Shul??
Join us at our GALA and After Party on June 18 to BE. with us and the amazing community we serve!
📲 www.labshul.org/gala-2025/
With us in hearts from afar: @amichailaulavie, Luis & @jewishmommy
#Labshul #Joinus #gather #shabbat #sabbath #ritual #godoptional #everybodyfriendly #artistdriven #experimentaljudaism #queerjudaism #JewishLife #jewishholidays #jewishevents #jewishtradition #jewishcommunity #TrybalGatherings #CampSettoga #TeamLabShul #SacredGathering #CreativeSpirit #CommunityAtTheCenter
Yesterday, our team was given the gift of gathering—with intention. 🎁 ☺️
Hosted by @trybalgatherings at @campsettoga_jccdaycamp, we changed it up from the usual pace to have the opportunity to deeply connect with our creativity, our spirit, and the sacred. Through guided activities and time in nature, we stepped away from the planning, the programming, and the daily hustle to just ✨ BE. ✨ — we reflected, recharged, and reconnected—with ourselves and each other. It was a reminder of the power of being present - together - and aligned with what matters most and WHY we do what we do!
Want to gather with Lab/Shul??
Join us at our GALA and After Party on June 18 to BE. with us and the amazing community we serve!
📲 www.labshul.org/gala-2025/
With us in hearts from afar: @amichailaulavie, Luis & @jewishmommy
#Labshul #Joinus #gather #shabbat #sabbath #ritual #godoptional #everybodyfriendly #artistdriven #experimentaljudaism #queerjudaism #JewishLife #jewishholidays #jewishevents #jewishtradition #jewishcommunity #TrybalGatherings #CampSettoga #TeamLabShul #SacredGathering #CreativeSpirit #CommunityAtTheCenter
🌈🔔 PROGRAM ALERT — Lab/Shul’s Sabbath Queen Monthly Ritual 🔔 🌈
BE. the Sabbath Queen you want to see in the world. Happy Pride! Join Lab/Shul for our final Sabbath Queen program for 5785!
Friday, June 6 2025
6pm EST | Manhattan & Online
Sabbath Queen is our monthly ritual circle of live musical liturgy, poetic and contemplative offerings along with great conversation. Each month, our Spiritual and Ritual Leadership Team will be joined by beloved collaborators, teachers, healers, and musicians in NYC and online.
June’s program will be led by R. @amichailaulavie @bshatteredbfree & @shoshanajedwab.
As always, the Sabbath Queen ritual opens with Happy Hour and ends with a catered Community Feast. Come for the Sabbath Queen, stay for the Sabbath glow.
📲 Register through the CALENDAR LINK in our bio or visit www.labshul.org/event/lab-shuls-sabbath-queen-5785-june/.
#Labshul #Joinus #gather #shabbat #sabbath #ritual #godoptional #everybodyfriendly #artistdriven #experimentaljudaism #queerjudaism #JewishLife #jewishholidays #jewishevents #jewishtradition #jewishcommunity #pridemonth #nycpride
#pride #sabbathqueen
🔔 PROGRAM ALERT —
Recollect SHAVUOT Kaddish Gathering 🔔
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
6:45pm ET in NYC*
7:15pm ET Online
📲 Register through the CALENDAR LINK in our bio or visit: www.labshul.org/event/recollect-seasonal-kaddish-gathering-7/
As we journey towards the final pilgrimage holiday of Shavuot and the revelation of wisdom (Torah), we also acknowledge special folks we’ve lost along the way. What is the wisdom they shared with us during our precious time together?
Lab/Shul’s ReCollect/Yizkor is a seasonal gathering to remember our loved ones, share stories, lift memory, and say Kaddish, the ancient memorial prayer, together. Throughout the year, ReCollect meets near or on the times of memory (Yizkor) on the Jewish calendar (Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and in this month Shavuot).
Whether you’ve experienced a recent loss, are remembering a loved one who passed long ago, or showing up in support of community, you are welcome here. Together, we acknowledge feelings of loss that can be particularly painful as we anticipate empty chairs at our tables and holes in our hearts.
*NYC address sent out upon RSVP
*In the event of rain, an indoor contingency plan will be in effect.
