Purim

Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated on two dates – the 14^th of the month of Adar, and, in walled cities like Jerusalem, on the 15^th of Adar (also called Shushan Purim). The origin of the holiday is related in the Book of Esther, which tells of how Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai saved the Jews of Persia from a massacre at the hands of Haman the Agagite.

Today, Purim is perhaps most identified with the tradition of wearing costumes, but the holiday has several commandments (mitzvot) as well, the main one being the reading of the Book of Esther. It is also customary to give gifts to the needy, deliver a mishloah manot (“gifts of food”) to family and friends, as well as eat a festive meal.

Below, you can discover some fascinating acpects of the Purim holiday, such as the story of one of the world’s oldest Esther scrolls, an “alternative Purim” celebrated in 17th-century Frnkfurt, the reason we eat Hamentaschen and the origin of the Purim noisemaker or grogger – the “Raashan” – to name a few…

How Did Queen Esther Become a Christian Saint?

They fled from Spain to neighboring Portugal but were soon forced to cross the Atlantic on their way to the New World. They were baptized as Christians against their will and were forced to remove any signs that hinted at their Jewish heritage. But they were willing to risk their lives to hold on to something. This is the story of the conversos who invented a Christian saint who was in fact a Jewish queen, to remind themselves of who they truly were.