“In general, we have to be careful. Every day, every service, morning and evening,” said a staff member at the Great Synagogue of Europe, located in the city’s historic heart. Asking hundreds of Jews to leave their homes to celebrate Purim on Wednesday night would be too much of a risk, he said.
The synagogue employee, who did not want to give his name, said that his congregation and at least four others decided, after conversations with Belgian authorities, to cancel their Purim parties.
The holiday, which celebrates the Jewish people’s survival when the tyrant Haman vowed to wipe them out, is normally marked with festivities including costumes, sweets, dramatic productions and alcohol. The Great Synagogue had planned a rock concert for hundreds of attendees.
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