Summit Jewish Community Center Celebrates Purim

The Jewish festival of Purim is based upon the biblical Book of Esther. The word “purim” means lottery and it is a reference to the lottery held by the villain Haman in order to choose a date upon which to kill the Jews. Unbeknownst to Haman, the newly-chosen queen of the realm, Esther, was herself Jewish. When her uncle Mordecai heard of Haman’s plot, he immediately reported it to Esther and challenged her with these words: “Perhaps it was for just this moment that you became queen (Esther 4:14).”

Esther responded by pleading on behalf of the Jews before King Ahasueros. The king, of course, sided with his new, beautiful queen. The Jews were saved.

As a result, the Jews established a new day of celebration and feasting called Purim. There are many beloved customs associated with Purim . While reading the entire Book of Esther, it is customary to boo and make noise each time the name Haman is recited in order to blot out his memory.

Traditionally, Jews dress up in costume – perhaps as a reminder that Esther concealed her identity. Further, we exchange gifts of food to ensure that all can participate in the feasting and we offer monetary gifts to the needy to lift them up as we were lifted up.

Perhaps, two of the most striking aspects of the Book of Esther are: (1) the name of God does not appear anywhere in its ten chapters, and (2) Esther – the heroine – was married to non-Jewish king. In other words, we cannot wait for miracles to happen; we must take action and influence the world in which we live. Further, we learn that if we exclude someone from our community based on whom they marry or how traditional they seem from afar, it is to our detriment. For 21st century Jews, these are important messages to remember.