Similar to Semana Cultural was PURIM. Amazing appearances, performances, “comparsas”. Hard work for the teachers, especially the elementary school teachers. (Did the students ever study?) The competition was fierce. In the early 70’s, Batia’s 7th grade class (Segundo Bto.) was inspired and Salo Bigio came as President Nixon in a helicopter! And he was never impeached!
We teachers got together and entered the competition as the students! With student uniforms, some of them a bit tight. So then the students from Octavo dressed up as the teachers. Jaime Cuperman was Dr. Jose Vicente Avella. Who can remember who was the rabbi? Andres Camhi, I believe.
Van Doll
Which reminds me, it was Andres Camhi who invented a new nickname for me: Van Doll. I just so happened that I was now driving a Volkswagen Van to school. So, instead of Dan Voll, I was now Van Doll. Would you believe it that years later Andres went to live in Santiago, Chile, and soon sent me a picture of a local business: “Veterinaria Van Doll”!
I remember the year that Joyce Hanfling and classmates did the Yellow Submarine and sang the song as they entered! “We all live in a yellow submarine.” It was the same year, I believe, that the teachers with Jacky Saada were all inside a giant green caterpillar squirming its way around the school patio?
