Dear Friends,
Purim will be celebrated at HCRJ this Friday night at Shabbat services, but the actual date of Purim begins at sunset tonight. While this joyous and festive celebration is often associated with fun and folly, it also addresses the themes of good and evil.
In light of the terrorist attacks in New Zealand and the Netherlands this week, Purim’s message to blot out evil from the face of the earth is very appropriate. To that end, we blot out Haman (who is the architype of evil); we laugh in the face of those who plot against us; and we find role models in Mordechai and Esther, who choose not to remain silent in the face of hatred and violence. Purim’s long standing traditions (goofy as they may be) help us cope with terror and evil in a playful way.
Purim may, indeed, be a holiday of marry-making and folly, but at its core, it emphasizes the fundamental belief that despite the fact that plots will be made against us, goodness will always prevail. Join us on Friday night for a congregational Purim celebration with special music and a hamantashen oneg.
Purim Sameach! Happy Purim!!
Steve