Hooray for PURIM!

              Purim is a fun-filled Jewish holiday that takes place on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar. Jews traditionally celebrate with silliness and abandon. It is a time to dress up, to perform silly skits, to hear the Megillah – the story of Purim – and to party.

              The holiday is based on the events found in the Biblical Book of Esther. Esther was a Jew who risked her life to stand up against Haman, the closest advisor of the Persian King Ahasuerus. Encouraged by her cousin Mordechai, Esther convinced the king to turn against Haman and to save her people.

              The name of Purim is understood to be derived from the word "PUR," which means "to draw lots." In the story, the evil Haman drew lots for the date and time that the Jews were to be annihilated. However, when Haman died on that very day at the spot he had reserved for Mordechai, the day was transformed from "one of grief and mourning, to one of pure joy" (Esther 9:22) for the entire Jewish people.

              The story of Purim depicts how Jews have lived in a non-Jewish environment and survived against a powerful government. One might ask: is the story of Purim factual? Times, dates, places, and names may or may not be. The events cited in the Book of Esther are believed to have taken place in Persia around the fifth century BCE.

              However, the message of Purim – that Jews can and have overcome a hateful enemy against tremendous odds – is as important in our day as when the holiday was first celebrated. We Jews have struggled with many Hamans over time, and yet the Jewish people survive. We have much to celebrate!

              And this year we are looking forward to two Purim celebrations. Join us on Sunday, March 16 as we prepare for the holiday with our Religious School Purim Extravaganza. It'll be lots of fun, as the kids make groggers, masks, decorations, and hamentashen and play games and retell the story. Then come back on Thursday evening, March 20 at 7:00 p.m., for our Purim Service and Megillah Reading – and be prepared for the most fun you can have in a sanctuary! Come in costume and get ready to shake your grogger!

              To help get you in the spirit of Purim, I'd like to offer this bit of wisdom:

IF THEY HAD A JEWISH MOTHER …

Mona Lisa's Mother: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

Columbus' Mother: "I don't care where you've been, you still could have written! Not even a postcard?"

Michelangelo's Mother: "Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

Albert Einstein's Mother: "But it's your senior picture, darling. Couldn't you do something about your hair? A little bit of gel, some mousse, something, … anything!"

Jonah's Mother: "That's a nice story. Now tell me where you've really been for the last three days."

Thomas Edison's Mother: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!"

(If any of the above made you smile, I take full credit – even though I didn't come up with this myself. If you didn't like it, I received these lines in an e-mail and was forced to pass them on to as many people as I know or else I could expect bad luck for the next seven years. Remember: be happy – it's Adar!)

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Daniel Sherman
Tree of Life Congregation
rabbisherman@bellsouth.net

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