Purim

This month in Jewish history: The first permanent government of Israel

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History.

|BySTEVEN DRUCKER
DIZENGOFF SQUARE, named for the Tel Aviv founding father.
An AI-generated illustrative image of US President Donald Trump being handed a parchment from the biblical Queen Esther as Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hovering in the background.

2,500 years in the making: Are the Jews once again turning the tables on Iran?

On the 23rd day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, Queen Esther is said to have allowed the Jews of Persia to fight back against extinction. Has Israel done the same today with Iran?

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Departure of the Israelites 'Departure of the Israelites' by David Roberts, 1829.

Purim-Passover connection: Uniting the Jews, then building a nation - opinion

Step one – as epitomized by Purim – is the struggle to bring the Jews together, to unite as a loving community, albeit in a foreign land. Step two – Passover – is the forming of our own nation.

|BySTEWART WEISS
The reading of the ‘Megillah.’

Purim celebrations: Deliverance, customs, and controversies - opinion

In addition to the core activities of reading the Megillah, sending gifts (mishloach manot), and donating three half shekels to charity, Purim is a time of carnivals and masquerades.

|ByRONALD EISENBERG

Is Israeli society at the fifth stage of grief? - opinion

The past debate on public celebrations – either on Purim or Independence Day – suggests we might move to the fifth stage, acceptance.

APRIL 4, 2024ByGADI EZRA
TWO WOMEN, Arab and Jew, involved in the Together Beyond Words organization, share their grief.

Jewish unity is the silver lining of the Israel-Hamas War - opinion

Unifying the Jewish people, fighting for a brighter future, and saving humanity (by fighting terror) may still be the silver lining coming out of Hamas’s insanity.

APRIL 3, 2024ByGINA ROSS
A person stands in front of pictures during a demonstration to demand the liberation of hostages who are being held in the Gaza Strip after they were seized by Hamas gunmen on October 7, in Tel Aviv, Israel November 21, 2023.

Grapevine: On parade

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

APRIL 2, 2024ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
THE PURIM ‘Adloyada’ parade takes place in Jerusalem on Monday. Purim represents the first step in our redemption; Passover propels us ever closer to the never-fully-reachable finish line, says the writer.

Everyone wears a mask year-round. Their real selves appear on Purim - opinion

May the world soon come to its senses and understand that what they see is not always what is real, and may Israel finally be seen as the angel and not the devil.

MARCH 31, 2024ByHADASSAH CHEN
Prince William and Princess Kate attend the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, 2023

Sex isn't merely physical, it can also be a redemptive act - opinion

They wanted to kill us. A woman said, “No way!” and with the innate understanding of the physical and spiritual power of sexuality, she turned the story around.

MARCH 30, 2024ByYONINA RUBINSTEIN
A couple in bed together, sex (Illustrative)

Let cleaning be the worst of your problems - opinion

Learn to differentiate between Passover and spring cleaning. Not every problem has to also be tedious.

MARCH 29, 2024ByHERB KEINON
Cleaning products (illustrative).

The debate over Purim costumes prompts reflection about war - opinion

The debate surrounding children’s costumes extends beyond Purim celebrations to broader societal issues, such as the role of the soldier and the exemption of yeshiva students from IDF service.

MARCH 29, 2024ByJONATHAN LIEBERMAN
Children celebrate Purim, dressed in soldier costumes.

Wartime Purim unity bridges secular-religious divides

Kesher Yehudi hosts unlikely encounter between haredi and secular Israeli families amid hostage crisis.

MARCH 29, 2024ByTANIA SHALOM MICHAELIAN
SECULAR AND haredi mark and even celebrate an introspective Purim, this past Sunday.

Grapevine March 27, 2024: When the nose knows

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

MARCH 27, 2024ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG attends the Megillah reading at the Theatron Hotel synagogue in Jerusalem.

What we can learn from Purim and Passover in our ever-complicated reality - opinion

As the seasons change and we move from Purim to Passover, we must cleanse our battered souls and, for so many, battle-scarred memories too.

MARCH 27, 2024ByGIL TROY
THE PURIM ‘Adloyada’ parade takes place in Jerusalem on Monday. Purim represents the first step in our redemption; Passover propels us ever closer to the never-fully-reachable finish line, says the writer.