Purim excitement filled the air at Temple Shalom Religious on Sunday, March 20, 2016. While some children came dressed as Queen Esther and Mordechai, others chose sports heroes, super heroes, and favorite pets. Fancy Nancy, Scooby Doo and Chewbacca also made special appearances. This special day was filled with learning Purim songs taught by Cantor Avery and Ray Farris, creating beautiful stained glass pictures and coloring funny masks. The older children decorated Mishloach Manot boxes and filled them with candy to be given to underprivileged children in the Dallas area. They also created delicious Purim  cupcake “plants” filled with “dirt” (cookie crumbs), chocolate “ants”, frosting, Rolos and gummy worms. While some saved these treats to give as a Purim surprise, others devoured their creations before the class ended. Whatever the outcome, all children enjoyed learning about the significance of this special Holiday.