Celebrate a fabulous — and fabulist — Purim with Brooklyn synagogue’s ‘Night of 1000 Santos’
What better way to celebrate the holiday than honoring George Santos, who claims to be a member of Esther and Mordecai’s tribe?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Adam Kovac February 17, 2023
What can we learn from a man who, inspired by his Holocaust survivor grandparents, went on to become a volleyball star, a holder of multiple academic degrees, the altruistic founder of an animal charity and a big shot in the finance world? Considering that none of those things are true, a Brooklyn synagogue believes there is still much to glean from the life and times of George Santos.
On March 6, Romemu Brooklyn will mark Purim by hosting the “Night of 1000 Santos” to pay tribute to the Republican congressman’s many false claims. But don’t let the name fool you: Rather than being a mere costume party, Rabbi Scott Perlo said the goal is to take some lessons from Congress’ favorite fabulist.
This Purim for the family at the Romemu Brooklyn synagogue: The “Night of 1000 Santos” Purim spiel — “inspired by New York’s most (in)famous man in Congress.” pic.twitter.com/Sfxc9De7BH
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) February 16, 2023
“Purim is about embracing what is absurd and oftentimes wrong about the world and finding a way to flip that and bring it into something that is a relief, that’s about laughing, that’s about even turning what’s broken into what lets the light in,” he said.
Perlo said it was difficult to imagine not acknowledging Santos’ Zelig-like fake life story given how it dovetails with some of Purim’s themes.
“The idea is, George Santos is a fabulist in a way that’s remarkable even for the times we’re living in. Purim is a time to embrace the absurd and it seemed hard not to acknowledge some of his claims are pretty absurd and feel very Purim to me. We’re gently poking fun.”
The event will include the traditional Purim shpiels “inspired by New York’s most (in)famous man in Congress” and skits where people are encouraged to “have fun with it in a way that lifts people up rather than casts them down and make funny claims about historical events or places where they might have been in where there’s obviously no way they could have been there.”
As for his own costume, will the rabbi don the now-iconic sweater vest and blazer look?
“I’m not saying no to that option,” he said.
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