A beautiful story occurred this Purim in Queens, when a public school changed the day of its weekly “Jewish hour” to accommodate its Jewish students.

In New York City’s public schools, each Wednesday has a designated “Jewish hour” during which its Jewish students are taken out of the school and treated to religious education from frum people in the community.

Each Wednesday at 12 pm for the past 81 years, vehicles transport around 150 volunteers who are brought to public schools to teach the Jewish children about yiddishkeit by bringing them to shuls or a Jewish center and teaching them how to daven and say brachos.

This past week, a group of the volunteers came up with the idea of changing the weekly Jewish Hour from Wednesday to Thursday so that the children can get a taste of Purim. They proposed the idea to the principal of P.S.178 in Queens, who said that they could do it if every parent agreed to the change.

The volunteers immediately began calling up the parents, who were all excited about their idea and heartily agreed to it.

The Purim day Jewish Hour wound up being extremely successful. While there are normally 32 Jewish children who participate each week, the Purim day celebration was joined by nearly 50 Jewish students.

“Getting the public school to change the religious hour to Thursday in honor of Purim is an amazing kiddush hashem and accomplishment,” said Rabbi Sadya Engel, the coordinator of the program.

The volunteers are now preparing for Pesach and working to provide the students and their families with matzah, wine, and all their seder needs.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)