Purim—Not Your Jewish Halloween

By Bnei Baruch Education Center

Purim is a great festival: great fear of annihilation, at first, and great joy after the salvation, at last. The celebrations on this festival are exceptionally great, given the commandment to consume alcohol to the point of inability to tell between wicked Haman and righteous Mordechai.

Purim is also a festival of symbolism. The primary message of the festival is that in the face of the purest evil, portrayed by Haman, even the epitome of good, portrayed by Mordechai, is helpless. The only thing that helps against pure evil is unity. When Mordechai pleads with Esther to beg for the king’s mercy, she says that even she, the queen, cannot save them, unless he, Mordechai, gathers all the Jews and they fast and pray for her. Then, when they are united once again, she endeavors and succeeds.

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The Purim Story

Kveller Staff

Many years ago, the king of Persia was named Ahashverosh. One day he decided to have a feast with all of his friends and advisors. He decided that his queen, Vashti, should come and dance at the feast. Queen Vashti refused. She didn’t want to dance in front of all of the king’s men, or appear before them to demonstrate her beauty. The king was furious and banished Vashti.

As time passed, the king wanted a new queen. He held a beauty contest and invited all of the eligible girls in the kingdom. The winner was Esther, and she became the queen. Esther was Jewish, but her uncle Mordechai, who raised her, warned that it could be dangerous to reveal her religion to the king. In fact, he told her not to tell anyone in the palace that she was Jewish.

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Jewish Holidays & Celebrations Explained

Jewish holidays are full of tradition and rich in history. Some focus on solemn occasions while others are lively and festive. Read on to learn why each holiday is celebrated.

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QUIZ: What Jewish Holiday Are You?

By Holly Lebowitz Rossi for Kveller

From Yom Kippur to Rosh Hashanah to Passover, there’s tons of Jewish holidays out there to choose from. Which one are you most like? Take the quiz to find out!

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The Gentiles Who Act Like Jews

With no Jewish holidays coming up immediately, we bring you some articles of interest. Enjoy.

By Ilana E. Strauss for Tablet Magazine   

The Gentiles Who Act Like Jews

Who are these non-Jews practicing Orthodox Judaism?

A man with a brambly salt-and-pepper beard, a kippah on his head, and circular glasses balanced on his nose stood behind a podium, lecturing on the parasha, the weekly Torah reading, in a southern twang. He was not a rabbi. He wasn’t even Jewish.

In front of him, an audience of about 20 sat in rows, listening attentively. Some wore head wraps and dresses suitable for a wedding, and others looked like they came in off the street. One man boasted neck tattoos and a gauge earring.

I was the only Jew in the room, but everyone else was here to study Torah. I was here to study them.

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