Costumes Galore
| March 9, 2017
Close your eyes..... Think PURIM!
What popped into your mind?
If you answered “My costume of course!” you’re not alone.
A chance to get creative get excited and get dressed up in all sorts of interesting and fun costumes? What more could a kid ask for?
Well how does having a garage filled with
es and
es of over 400 costumes to choose from sound to you? Sounds like a huge number of costumes for one family to own? You’re right it is.
But the Friedmans don’t just own those costumes. They use them to bring simchas Purim to hundreds of boys girls and even adventurous adults every year.
Welcome to the Costume Gemach.
Chesed in Disguise
Home to over 400 costumes (that number was no exaggeration!) the gemach is the place to be during the few weeks before Purim. They have an amazing array of costumes in all themes colors and sizes — and even have some adult costumes.
From Rosh Chodesh Shevat the Costume Gemach is full of Purim fun as people try on costumes and accessories. And the best part is: with such a big array of costumes there’s always something new to try.
Leah Friedman also enjoys seeing how excited kids (and their mothers) get about their costumes.
“It’s a very upbeat happy Purim atmosphere ” she says. “Kids and their mothers are so happy to find the costumes of their dreams. It’s really fun to be in the gemach.” She also enjoys inviting two or three friends to help in the gemach. “They’re great for offering help and opinions and they constantly reorganize everything as people try costumes on ” she says.
Another super exciting part of the gemach includes teen costumes and the Friedmans’ own costume creations.
Some of their really creative costumes include: American Girl Dolls Cheerleaders and Friedman Bakery.
There’s also a collection of random and fun pants shirts and accessories including: crowns tiaras costume jewelry glasses wings masks veils and police and cowboy equipment and more.
In the Beginning…
“After my grandmother was nifteres I was looking for something to do in her zechus” Mrs. Friedman says. “I wanted to open a gemach and then the idea of a costume gemach popped into my head.”
Mrs. Friedman says that her grandmother Miriam bas Aharon was a very happy person who used her talents and chesed to spread happiness to all those around her. “On Purim people give mishloach manos packages but my grandmother delivered food and care packages to people all year ” she says. “A costume gemach that makes so many people happy is such an appropriate way to honor my grandmother’s memory.”
I’m sure every Jr. reader knows the feeling of really wanting a new and amazing Purim costume right? Well what happens when mothers aren’t too excited about buying a new costume every year? “Problem solved!” Mrs. Friedman says. “At the Costume Gemach we offer a huge selection of amazing costumes at zero cost!”
So what’s stopping a kid in the Friedmans’ neighborhood from going all out dressing up this year? With the Costume Gemach — nothing! (excerpted)
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