Awesome Photo Gallery of the Shushan Purim celebrations from the courtyard of our Beit Midrash - Shuvu Banim, some eight hours straight of non-stop dancing. 

Everyone knows that anyone who wants to experience the true joy of Purim should go to the courtyard of the king’s palace – our Beit Midrash, Shuvu Banim.  Like every year, the Purim celebrations were held with adornment that is not found in any place in the world.  Unlike previous years, this year, the management of the synagogue did not receive financing from any source for an orchestra or amplification.  However, the Gabbai of the synagogue, the dedicated R’ Etiel Yisraeli took onto himself a debt of 5,000 NIS so that the Purim celebration will be in each and every generation, and the salvation of the congregation of Shuvu Banim will be forever.   The holy work of music was conducted by the musician R’ Natan Marian, and on the keyboard was R’ Natan Guddes, and the bachurim Simcha Zakai and Yehuda Kohen.  At their sides were R’ Nachman Druk on the clarinet and R’ Natan Raz on the saxophone.  The Purim feast and dancing began at 1:30 PM, after Minchah Gedolah in our Beit Midrash, with more and more people flowing in from Jerusalem and even from other cities.  Wine was distributed to the dancers in order to continue the mitzvah of the day.  There is no doubt that such simcha is not found anywhere.  As the Rav shlit”a desired, the people were only slightly tipsy, but not drunk. The simcha was true simcha, breaking all boundaries, but without wildness. In the midst of the celebrations, the dancing duo of Shimon Elbaz and Nachman Alshich arrived, who pumped up the rhythm of the simcha with phenomenal and breathtaking performances. Close to 9:30 PM, when the square was already overflowing with thousands of dancers, the songs of emotional arousal began, with the whole congregation of Shuvu Banim joining hands with wondrous and rousing unity. The peak was the song “Acheinu Khol Beit Yisrael – Our brothers, all the House of Israel...” Even the tipsiest person could not remain indifferent to this rousing sight.  Close to 10:05 PM, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a entered his balcony for Ma’ariv at the end of this holy day. The joy became many times greater with the song “Or Zarua La’Tzaddik...” This was followed by Ma’ariv and the Breslov melodies of every evening. 

Photo gallery courtesy of Hitchadshut Magazine – all rights reserved for them: