Editor:
Beginning on Monday, March 6, and ending at sundown on Tuesday, March 7, Jewish people around the world will dress up in costumes, make lots of noise, and eat triangular shaped cookies, all to celebrate the holiday of Purim. This is a holiday full of merriment. We read from the Book of Esther and dress up as the different people in the story. We make a lot of noise upon hearing the villain’s name (Haman). We eat delicious Hamentaschen, cookies shaped like triangles, to remind us of Haman’s ridiculous 3-cornered hat. However, in the midst of all this mishigas (Yiddish for “craziness”), there is a very serious message in the story of Purim.
In the Book of Esther, King Ahasuerus ruled the town of Shushan. At the beginning of the story, he hosted a beauty pageant to find himself a new bride. One of the contestants was a woman named Esther. Esther was the most beautiful woman. Once the king saw her, the contest was over. However, Esther had a secret – she was Jewish.
The king’s royal advisor was a man named Haman. Haman did not like the Jewish people because they refused to bow down to him. (Jewish people only bow down to God). Haman convinced the king to allow him to kill all the Jewish people in the land.
Esther’s relative, Mordechai, heard of the new royal decree, and encouraged her to intercede on behalf of her people. So, Esther threw a private dinner party for the King and Haman, followed by a second private dinner party. At the second event, Esther told the king that Haman wished to destroy her people, for she was Jewish. The king ordered for Haman to be strung up on the gallows. Esther and Mordechai saved the Jewish people from death.
While Purim is fun and silly holiday, anti-semitism is no laughing matter. The Jewish people have been persecuted throughout history. And yet, we persevere. We persevere because we have Esthers and Mordechais in our midst – brave, courageous people who are willing to speak up and speak out against hatred and oppression. The story of Purim reminds us that we were once oppressed. It reminds us that anti-semitism still exists today. However, it also reminds us that each of us has the potential to be like Esther and Mordechai and stand up and speak out when we experience prejudice, and when we see it happening to others. This year, as we make noise to drown out Haman’s name, let us think of more ways that we can be like Esther and Mordechai to drown out hate in our own day.
Rabbi Alana Wasserman
Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation
PS: If you would like to join Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation for our Purim celebration, please email rabbi@gsjc.org for more information. Happy Purim!
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