Carnival celebrates holiday and friendship

PARTY PLANNERS- Donna Becker of Wood Ranch, the preschool director at Temple Beth Haverim, wears part of her costume for the temple's annual Purim carnival as she discusses last-minute details with the other members of the carnival committee. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers What does it take to put on a carnival? Bev Futterman of Oak Park knows firsthand the many details needed to make this kind of large-scale party a success.

Every March for nearly a decade, Futterman has chaired an annual Purim Carnival for Temple Beth Haverim in Agoura Hills. The event draws more than 1,000 people, involves more than 150 volunteers and raises about $10,000 for the synagogue.

"I don't know of any other fundraiser that requires that kind of manpower," Futterman said.

Such carnivals are a popular way to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim, which falls this year on March 4 and 5. Purim marks how the Jews of ancient Persia were saved from extermination. It is a happy commemoration in which the dramatic story, from the Book of Esther, is recounted in the synagogue.

People dress in costume, often as characters from the ancient tale, and present gift baskets to each other filled with treats including the three-cornered filled pastry known as "hamantashen."

Beth Haverim's carnival is a communitywide fair that the public is invited to enjoy. This year's will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun., March 4, at Red Oak Elementary in Oak Park. Game booths, kiddie rides, moon bounces, raffles, an auction, face painting, pony rides and a poker table are among the highlights.

Among the 75 raffle prizes are electronics, sports equipment, restaurant gift certificates, hotel stays, theater tickets and gift baskets. Everything has been donated.

"It's such a fun, carefree kind of day," Futterman said. "With all the fundraisers that go on, it's nice to have something where you raise money but it's all about the kids."

The carnival may sound like a massive undertaking, but thanks to supporters it isn't, Futterman said.

For the past decade, organizers of the event have been the same group of 15 people who pick up their carnival responsibilities each year, making the event "almost run itself," Futterman said.

It used to take six to eight months to plan; now the committee begins meeting only two months before the event. Much support comes from the temple's youth, under the supervision of Youth Director Jeffrey Feldman, Futterman said. The kids' input is important to the event's success, she added.

She lists many names of friends who return each year to help out. Among them are Bette Alkazian of Westlake Village, who recruits the volunteers needed to cover shifts at game booths, rides, prize tables and other positions. Alkazian puts her business as a marriage and family therapist on hold the week of the carnival so that she can make the hundreds of phone calls needed to confirm volunteers.

What motivates Alkazian to return to the demanding job each year is the camaraderie of those who participate.

"This is a really neat coming together of the community, even people who don't know each other," Alkazian said. "It does plant seeds for the rest of the year as well. I've met friends through the carnival that I know now when I go to temple."

Futterman gets much support from her family, including husband, Gary, and children Samantha, Alexis and Zack. Her mother, Joy, helps plan and volunteers during the carnival.

Zack, 11, a Red Oak fifthgrader, said his mom picks good games and rides, and he's proud of her.

"She really puts her heart into this event, and our kids love that she plans it," Gary Futterman said.

Beth Haverim has hosted a carnival since the early 1990s, according to Pam Katz of Thousand Oaks, a longtime temple member and former carnival chair.

I t was first held by the synagogue's men's club in the parking lot of the temple's former location off Clareton Drive in Agoura Hills. The carnival then moved across town to Willow Elementary. For the past four or five years the carnival has been held at Red Oak.

Although some of the rides and games have become more sophisticated, the goal of the event has not changed, said Katz, who continues to work as a volunteer.

"We just thought that this could be a really fun thing for all ages- - little kids, big kids and old kids- - and a great fundraiser at the same time," Katz said.

For information, call the temple at (818) 991-7111.