Saturday evening, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, is the Jewish
Festival of Purim, a Hebrew word which can be translated as
”
lots
”
(lottery or chance) and refers to things happening by chance or
coincidence.
Saturday evening, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, is the Jewish Festival of Purim, a Hebrew word which can be translated as “lots” (lottery or chance) and refers to things happening by chance or coincidence. It commemorates the bravery of a Jewish heroine who risked her life to save her people.
This exuberant holiday is based upon a story that contains the elements of mystery, drama and farce, dedicated to a woman who showed courage in the face of danger to save the Jewish people from destruction.
The biblical Book of Esther tells about a gullible king of Persia who lived about 400 years B.C.E. Ahashverus banished his first queen for disobeying him and later replaced her with Esther, a beautiful woman who, unknown to him, was Jewish.
Esther’s cousin Mordecai offended the king’s prime minister by refusing to bow to him as court protocol demanded. Haman, the prime minister, vowed to get revenge for this slight by killing Mordecai and all the Jews in the kingdom.
At Mordecai’s urging, Esther resolved to appeal to the king on behalf of her people. This put her in great danger because anyone who approached the king without being summoned could be executed for this breach of etiquette.
Fortunately for Esther and her people, Ahashverus was so pleased when she came into his presence that he forgot about punishing her for barging in and offered her a reward, “… even to half of my kingdom.” Esther begged for the king to spare the Jews from annihilation. He did, and in an episode rich in irony, Haman was hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai and the Jews.
Remarkably, in the Bible, the name of God is not mentioned while telling the story. “This holiday teaches us that we can’t wait for God to save us; we need our faith but we also need to take action, while trusting that God will ultimately protect us,” explained Debbie Israel, Acting Rabbi of Congregation Emeth. “One of the most poignant lines in this story concerns Mordecai telling his niece Esther to risk going before the king, telling her, ‘Perhaps it is for this very moment that you were created.’ None of us knows our purpose in life, but through our service to our people and all humanity and by acting heroically when called to do so, each of us have the potential to discover ‘the very moment’ for which we were created.”
On Saturday, March 3, Congregation Emeth will tell the story of Esther while celebrating a costumed Purim Party. The story will be told comically by members of the congregation’s youth group. While hearing the story, participants drown out the name of the hated anti-Semite Haman by the loud, enthusiastic use of noise-makers called graggers, as well boos, hisses and catcalls. On the other hand, the listeners offer more approving noises such as cheers and applause when other characters’ names are mentioned, much like an old-fashioned melodrama. Children and adults may dress up as characters from the story and hold a costume contest.
The party will also feature live music provided by Mark Levy and his Klezmer band.
On Sunday, beginning at 11am, the Religious School and its Youth Group will have a Purim Carnival. There will be many enjoyable activities keyed to the Purim theme:
n Children can participate in the following games: Queen Esther’s Lollipop Tree, Haman’s Sword Throw, Mordechai’s Hoop Toss, King Ahashverus’ Balloon Bash.
n Themed crafts include making a crown of jewels, Queen Vashti’s Face- Painting and Henna art. There will also be another costume contest.
Congregation Emeth is a Reform synagogue serving South County, which welcomes interfaith families. For more information, call 847-4111.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write to him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, Calif. 95021.
