This past month, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) learned about the Jewish holiday of Purim, celebrating when the Jews resisted oppression from the Persian empire, which senior Ruchama Borg described as a fun holiday.

“(Purim) seems like a very simplistic holiday, one that would be physical, because we eat a lot, drink a lot, give out food, throw parties, people dress up,” Borg said. “But (at JSU) I’ve been learning more about it and it’s a lot more spiritual and deep than a lot of people think.”

According to club adviser Rabbi Tzvi Kupfer, JSU is open to all students, regardless of their religion.

“It’s a student-led culture club that helps students understand things about Jewish and Israeli culture as well as other relevant topics, promoting tolerance and inclusion and is generally just a good time to get together with friends after school,” Kupfer said. “There’s always free food and activities usually relevant to Jewish holidays and timely topics.”

Junior club-member Lelia Raymond said she enjoys the holiday of Purim.

“Purim is fun because we dress up and eating triangle-shaped cookies, called hamentashens, made to represent the hat of the (holiday’s story’s antagonist), Haman,” Raymond said.

According to Kupfer, the club first celebrated the holiday of Purim by learning about the food traditions for the holiday.

“(Two weeks ago), we brought in ‘readymade dough,’ and we talked a little about what it represented,” Kupfer said. “Everybody (then) shaped their dough into hamentashens.”

Kupfer said he encourages interested students to come to JSU meetings.

“JSU is a great opportunity for Jewish teens to meet other Jewish teens in school,” Kupfer said. “It’s really an opportunity for people from all cultures to share their perspective and to learn another perspective in a non-threatening, non-judgemental, inclusive environment.”

According to Raymond, students interested in attending JSU should attend one of the club’s weekly meetings, which are held 3:15 p.m. every Thursday in room B238.