March 13, 2003 — Purim is a holiday based on the Biblical Book of Esther, explains a release by Rabbi Arthur Starr of the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas. It is a tale filled with heroes and villains with whom people can easily identify: Mordecai, the hero of the day who defies those bent on destroying his people; his niece Esther who risks her life for her people; Haman, the wicked Prime Minister; King Ahashuerus.
This story of victory over oppression resonates with us today, lending hope in the most perilous of times. Purim is a holiday which has almost no home observance and whose synagogue ritual is limited virtually to the reading of the story and cheering and booing the characters. The mood of the sanctuary is turned into a carnival-type spirit.
The special food eaten at Purim is Hamantaschen – a three-cornered pastry filled with prune or other fruit jams.
A Purim celebration will take place at the Hebrew Congregation on Synagogue Hill at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 17, with the reading of the Megillah (the scroll of Esther) followed by refreshments. Come in costume and bring creative noisemakers to drown out the name of Haman, said the release.
