Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrated on two dates - the 14th of the month of Adar, and, in walled cities like Jerusalem, on the 15th 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...
The Jews of Frankfurt established a second Purim in 1616 in celebration of the downfall of a new Haman who tried to eradicate the local Jewish community.
In addition to a crown (and a ceramic vase), the queen was the recipient of slander and condemnation. So how was the first Israeli beauty queen, “the typical example of Hebrew beauty”, selected?
This was what happened when the Purim merriment of the Jews of Amsterdam mixed with a desire for revenge against the Spanish.
Purim is upon us! And it so happened that the 1892 American elections happened at around the same time. And so Gershon Rosenzweig, a Hebrew author and Jewish immigrant to the New World, wrote “Tractate America”, to answer the question of who will win the election – the one with the most gold.
Take a look at the Scroll of Esther of Ferrara, Italy, whose magnificent illustrations show the expected fate of anyone who threatens to harm the people of Israel.
