A note from Rabbi David
I was walking with my 8-year-old granddaughter
yesterday afternoon and telling her the Purim story: how Queen Esther risked her own life to save the Jews of the Persian empire (including the province of Judea in the Second Temple period) from Haman's plot to exterminate them.
She took in the story, then said: "If it wasn't for Esther, we wouldn't be
here."
As our Purim celebration approaches, history is unfolding in today's Persia, with the US and Israel at war with the government of Iran. I am hoping and praying that my family, friends, fellow Jews, and innocent civilians remain safe and that peace and security emerge from the
fighting.
When it comes to our story from ancient Persia, we understand the Book of Esther as a work of literature, not a history book. But the point remains that Esther's actions show how one person can shift the course of the future.
I hope we can enter into the story of Esther and think about the implications of her role and those of the other vivid characters in the story: Mordecai, King Ahasuerus, and Haman. And let's not forget Vashti, the queen who lost her crown for refusing her husband's drunken demands.
-Rabbi David Goodman
Purim starts Monday at sunset. Nafshenu's Purim party-Megillah reading-potluck runs 6-8:30pm Tuesday at Prince of Peace Church, our gracious host community.
PLEASE SIGN UP HERE TO LET US KNOW YOU'RE COMING:
bit.ly/NafPURIM.
