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Purim parties in NYC: Here’s where to celebrate this joyous Jewish holiday
(New York Jewish Week) – The festive Jewish holiday of Purim begins this year on the evening of Monday, March 6. A marker of Jewish pride and survival, the day celebrates the triumph of Queen Esther, who saved the Jewish people of Shushan in Persia from Haman by advocating for them to her husband, King Achashverosh.
In honor of the day, Jewish communities around the world will read the megillah, or Scroll of Esther; eat triangle-shaped hamantaschen cookies or sticky debla, make noise with graggers, give mishloach manot (care packages) to friends and family, perform satiric “spiels” and dress up in costumes for synagogue and parties.
Keep reading for the New York Jewish Week’s round-up of how to have the best holiday possible, including dancing, hearing a megillah reading, heading to a comedy show or engaging in a deep dive of the history of the holiday. Our list includes virtual and free events as well as in-person parties.
Flamingggtaschen: A Queer Jewish Purim Party
Join “Flaminggg,” a Queer Jewish nightlife experience, for their second-ever Purim party at 3 Dollar Bill in East Williamsburg (270 Meserole St.) on Saturday, March 4. The event, which runs from 9 p.m. on Saturday to 4 a.m. on Sunday, is aimed towards queer Jews and will include a Purim spiel, drag performances, DJs and dancing. Tickets from $30. More information here.
Family Purim Concert
For young families, get in the spirit of Purim at 92NY’s Family Purim Concert hosted by Rebecca Schoffer, the 92NY’s director of Jewish family engagement. Schoffer will be joined by a live band for a musical retelling of the Purim story on Sunday, March 5 at 10 a.m. Afterwards, schmooze and nosh on hamantaschen. Tickets from $36. More information here.
Mordechai the Villain: The Shocking Story Behind Drinking on Purim
Join our partner site My Jewish Learning and Rabbi Ayalon Eliach to talk about why drinking on Purim has become part of the tradition of the holiday. “This class will offer an accessible behind-the-scenes tour of the origins of the custom to drink alcohol on Purim,” according to the listing. “It will challenge assumptions about good and evil, what Purim is all about, and what it means to be Jewish.” The free lecture will take place on Zoom at 12:00 p.m. on March 6. Register here.
The History of the Purim Spiel with Motl Didner and The Workers Circle
The Purim spiel, which retells the Purim story and can be performed as a comedy, political commentary or act of celebration (or all three!) is a major part of the holiday’s festivities. Join The Workers Circle on Monday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m. to learn about the history of the Purim spiel as “the earliest form of Yiddish theater.” The Yiddish and English Zoom event is free and will feature “videos, photographs, and artistic representations from the Renaissance through the present day,” according to their website. Register here.
Purim on Park with The Altneu
Join the new-ish Altneu congregation in support of United Hatzalah at this banquet, concert and megillah reading. The party, which will take place at 583 Park Avenue, includes performances by singer Shulem Lemmer and rapper Nissim Black and feature food by Mark David Catering. Mincha (afternoon prayers) begins at 5:30 p.m., with a megillah reading at 6:30 p.m. on March 6. Tickets are complimentary for Altneu members and start at $180 for non-members. Find more information here.
Purim Around the World with Kehillat Ashreynu
Join Kehillat Ashreynu in Astoria, Queens for “a polyglot Purim story.” Co-sponsored by the Jewish Languages Project, the event will feature portions of the megillah read in Spanish, Russian, Ladino and more — as well as a celebration of languages, art, history and music of Jewish communities around the world. A happy hour at Madame Marie’s (35-15 Broadway) will begin at 6 p.m. preceding the free megillah reading — also available livestreamed — at 7 p.m. Afterwards, stay for a party at Grove 34 (31-83 34th St). Party tickets from $18. RSVP is required. Find more information here.
Purim 7: From the Crown Down with Lab/Shul
Lab/Shul, the experimental, “God-optional” and artist-driven congregation, hosts a Purim party this year at Bushwick’s House of Yes (2 Wycoff Ave.). Described as “a Prophetic, Phantasmagorical, Post-Patriarchal, Purim Performance Party,” the evening begins at 6:30 p.m. on March 6 with a ritual theater experience and performance that will retell the Purim story through ancient and modern myths. A dance party will follow at 10 p.m. Tickets from $55. Find more information here.
The Vashti Ball with JQY
The costume contest at JQY’s Vashti Ball in 2022. (Santiago Felipe)
After selling out last year, Jewish Queer Youth is bringing back The Vashti Ball this year at HK Hall (605 West 48th St.) which can accommodate up to 1000 attendees. Starting at 6:30 p.m. on March 6, the event is open to all ages and will include a “Drag Queen Story Hour” for the megillah reading, a kosher Persian feast, drag performances, disco dancing, a full bar for 21+ and a costume contest with the opportunity to win tickets to “Six: The Musical.” Megillah reading is free; tickets for the party start at $18. Find more information here.
A Purim Comedy Show at 92NY
For those who just want to laugh, popular Jewish comedians Matthew Broussard, Pamela Rae Schuller and Elon Altman will join emcee Michelle Slonim for a stand-up comedy show at 92NY on Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $36 and the venue has a cash bar. Get tickets here.
Megillah and Party at Temple Emanu-El
On March 6 at 7:30 p.m, Temple Emanu-El will host a megillah reading and Purim party including a live performance from The Maccabeats, a hamantaschen bar with The Nosher’s Shannon Sarna and a DJ set by Ann Streichman. The Purim story will be read from what Emanu-El claims is “the Guiness World record for the longest Megillah.” The megillah reading can be livestreamed for free. Tickets for the party, including food and cocktails, start at $45. Find more information here.
Nightlife events with J-Vibe
Maybe you just want to use the holiday as an excuse to hit the club. That’s your prerogative! Luckily, J-Vibe has got your back. Throughout the week, the Jewish nightlife events company is hosting and co-hosting Purim parties at clubs in the city, from “Purim in a Dream” at Blue Midtown (220 West 44th St.) on Saturday night to “Purim in Color” at Nebula (135 West 41st St.) on Thursday, March 9. Tickets generally start at $18. Check out the options here.
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Iran and US Views on Sanctions Relief Differ, Iranian Official Tells Reuters
Iranian women walk past an anti-US billboard in Tehran, Iran, February 19, 2026. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran and the United States have differing views over sanctions relief in talks to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday, adding that new talks were planned in early March as fears of a military confrontation grow.
Iran and the US renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program as the US builds up its military capability in the Middle East, fueling fears of a wider war.
Iran has threatened to strike US bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by US forces.
“The last round of talks showed that US ideas regarding the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief differ from Iran’s demands. Both sides need to reach a logical timetable for lifting sanctions,” the official said.
“This roadmap must be reasonable and based on mutual interests.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday that he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days, while US President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes.
READINESS TO COMPROMISE
While rejecting a US demand for “zero enrichment” – a major sticking point in past negotiations – Tehran has signaled its readiness to compromise on its nuclear work.
Washington views enrichment inside Iran as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and wants its right to enrich uranium to be recognized.
Washington has also demanded that Iran relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU). The UN nuclear agency last year estimated that stockpile at more than 440 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, a small step away from the 90% that is considered weapons grade.
The Iranian official said Tehran could seriously consider a combination of exporting part of its HEU stockpile, diluting the purity of its most highly enriched uranium and the establishment of a regional enrichment consortium in exchange for the recognition of Iran’s right to “peaceful nuclear enrichment.”
“The negotiations continue and the possibility of reaching an interim agreement exists,” he said.
BENEFITS FOR BOTH SIDES
Iranian authorities have said that a diplomatic solution delivers economic benefits for both Tehran and Washington.
“Within the economic package under negotiation, the United States has also been offered opportunities for serious investment and tangible economic interests in Iran’s oil industry,” the official said.
However, he said Tehran will not hand over control of its oil and mineral resources.
“Ultimately, the US can be an economic partner for Iran, nothing more. American companies can always participate as contractors in Iran’s oil and gas fields.”
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Mike Huckabee’s Comments to Tucker Carlson on Israel and Middle East Land Draw Condemnation in Region
Tucker Carlson speaks on first day of AmericaFest 2025 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 18, 2025. Photo: Charles-McClintock Wilson/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters Connect
Comments by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggesting that Israel had a biblical right to much of the Middle East drew condemnation over the weekend from countries across the region, who called his remarks “dangerous and inflammatory.”
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has been a staunch supporter of Israel throughout his political career and a longtime defender of Jewish settlements in the West Bank – land which the Palestinians seek for a state.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson that was conducted on Wednesday in Israel and aired on Friday, the populist US talk show host asked Huckabee about Israel’s right to exist and about Jewish roots in the ancient land.
Citing the book of Genesis, Carlson asked whether the modern state of Israel had a right to the lands promised in the Bible by God to Abraham, stretching from the Euphrates River to the Nile, covering much of the Middle East. In response, Huckabee said:
“It would be fine if they took it all. But I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today.”
Huckabee added: “We’re talking about this land that the state of Israel now lives in and wants to have peace in, they’re not trying to take over Jordan, they’re not trying to take over Syria, they’re not trying to take over Iraq or anywhere else. They want to protect their people.”
In response, a joint statement condemning Huckabee’s comments was issued by the Palestinians and countries in the Middle East and beyond, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan.
They said his comments were: “Dangerous and inflammatory remarks, which constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the region.”
A US Embassy spokesperson said Huckabee’s comments did not reflect any change in US policy and that his full remarks made clear that Israel has no desire to change its current boundaries.
Israeli officials did not immediately comment on the interview or the reaction from countries that signed the joint statement.
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Jack Hughes Makes History as 1st Jewish Male Athlete with Olympic ‘Golden Goal’
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics – Ice Hockey – Men’s Gold Medal Game – Canada vs United States – Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Milan, Italy – February 22, 2026. Jack Hughes of United States scores their second goal in overtime to win gold. Photo: REUTERS/David W Cerny
i24 News – Jack Hughes made history on Sunday as the first hockey player widely recognized for both having a bar mitzvah and scoring an Olympic game-winning goal, leading the United States to its first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980.
The 24-year-old New Jersey Devils star from Orlando, Florida, scored early in sudden-death overtime to secure a 2-1 victory over Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Hughes finished a cross-ice pass from teammate Zach Werenski, who had wrestled the puck from Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon.
“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes said. “I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong.” Hughes also endured a high stick during the game, losing a couple of teeth but continuing to play.
The victory marked the first US win over Canada in a top-level men’s competition since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. The win completed a US sweep of Olympic hockey gold, following the women’s 2-1 overtime victory against Canada on Thursday.
Hughes ended the tournament with three goals and three assists, contributing offensively even from a lower line. His older brother, Quinn Hughes, a Minnesota Wild defenseman, scored the US overtime winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals. Their parents, Jim and Ellen Hughes, were present for the celebrations.
Team USA also paid tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed in 2024 with his brother. Gaudreau’s jersey hung in the locker room throughout the tournament, and players carried it onto the ice after the medal ceremony. Two of Gaudreau’s children joined the team for commemorative photos.
Sunday’s match marked the third men’s Olympic gold medal game between the US and Canada, with Canada having won in 2002 and 2010. Hughes’ golden goal solidifies him as a historic figure in hockey, blending his Jewish heritage with Olympic triumph.