partying Jerusalem style

Purim in Bet Shemesh over the years has taken on a very similar flavor to that of Purim in Jerusalem. The place is hopping.
There are Purim parties all over the place. Loud Purim music blaring into the streets. People dancing in the streets. Groups of boys from different Yeshiva going around the neighborhood singing and dancing raising funds for the yeshivas. Drunk revelers stumbling through the streets. Parties spilling out into the streets. etc.

We had the opportunity to be for a short time yesterday in Beiter Ilit. The "City of Torah and Hassidus in the Judean Hills".

We entered Beitar - another city I would think would have a similar flavor to Jerusalem (usually cities with a large number of Jerusalem expatriates take on a similar flavor) - and all was quiet. The roads were empty. People were out and about delivering shalachmanos, and whatever, but no serious reveling outside of the houses.

Our friends in Beitar who we visited (a few families) all told us that the city of Beitar has had some serious trouble in the past with "ארחי פרחי" - Archeeee Parcheee - troubled teenagers, usually of sfardic persuasion (not that ashkenazy teens are not troubled, but in Beitar it seems most of the archee are sfardim) who fight, steal, vandalize and make a lot of trouble. So these kids congregate, harass people, light heavy firecrackers in dangerous places including in crowded shuls, etc.

So they told us that the police cracked down on them this year. They sent a bunch of police cars last night and cleared the streets. They warned everybody that if they were caught hanging around outside they would be arrested. I am told they even arrested a whole bunch. Clearting the treets though also means other people would not really be reveling in the streets (otherwise it is difficult to keep the problem kids out).

So basically it meant the city was kept clean and quiet.

And while it was quiet in Beitar, in Bet Shemesh we party, Jerusalem style! Way to go Bet Shemesh!