For Shuvu Banim There Was Light and Joy • A Spectacular Photo Gallery from the

Before you is a spectacularly beautiful photo gallery from the Purim celebration in the courtyard of the King's Pavilion garden - the courtyard of our Beis Medrash (study hall) Shuvu Banim on Shushan Purim (the day Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem) 5784, which lasted for about eight consecutive hours of non-stop dancing.

Anyone who desires to rejoice with true Purim joy should come to the courtyard of the King's house, which is our Beis Medrash Shuvu Banim. As every year, this Purim 5784, the Purim celebration was held with a level of hiddur (excellence) that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Unlike previous years, this year the synagogue management did not receive funding from any source for the band and sound system, but the dedicated synagogue gabbai (manager) R' Itiel Israeli decided to take upon himself a debt of 5,000 NIS so that the Purim joy would be in every generation and the salvation of the Shuvu Banim community would be forever. The musical work was led by the singer R' Natan Marian, and on the keyboards R' Natan Godes, and the young men Simcha Zakai and Yehuda Cohen, accompanied with emotion by R' Nachman Druck on the clarinet and R' Natan Raz on the saxophone.

The wine feast and dancing began at 1:30 PM after the Great Mincha (afternoon prayer) in the Beis Medrash. All the while, more and more of Anash (our community members) flowed in from Jerusalem and even from outside it. Wine was even distributed to the dancers to continue the mitzvah (commandment) of the day. There is no doubt that such joy is not to be found elsewhere; as per the will of our teacher the Rav shlit"a (may he live long and good days), the people were mivusam (joyfully tipsy) and not drunk, and the joy was a true joy that broke boundaries but without any frivolity. During this, the dance duo Shimon Elbaz and Nachman Alsheikh arrived to participate in the immense joy, increasing the pace of the celebration with phenomenal and breathtaking stunts. Towards 9:30 PM, when the floor was already packed with thousands of dancers, they began songs of emotion, with the entire Shuvu Banim community putting their hands on each other in a wonderful and inspiring unity. The climax was the singing of "Acheinu Kol Beis Yisrael" (Our brothers, the entire House of Israel); even the most tipsy person did not remain indifferent to this inspiring sight.

Towards 10:05 PM, our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a came out to the balcony of his home for the Maariv (evening) prayer at the conclusion of the holy day. The joy intensified twofold and the gladness erupted even more strongly with the singing of "Or Zarua L'Tzaddik U'l'yishrei Lev Simcha" (Light is sown for the Tzaddik and joy for the upright of heart). After long minutes, the Maariv prayer and a medley of Breslov songs took place as they do every evening.

Photo gallery courtesy of the Hischadshus (Renewal) bulletin and all rights are reserved to them: