Be Happy!…no one ever wants to be told, “Oh, you’re feeling down, why not just try and be happy!” Yet this is exactly how we’re supposed to try and feel in the month of Adar.
Like many of you, I can’t sit in my comfortable and safe home and not worry about the war in Ukraine. I’ve especially been thinking about the irony between the happiness of the month of Adar and the horrible state of affairs in Ukraine. How are the Ukrainian Jews supposed to be happy this month? How are they going to celebrate Purim?
The Babylonian word, Adar, is not so different from the Hebrew word Adir, meaning strength. Happiness takes strength. The Ukrainian community is mustering all their strength to protect their nation as the women and children head to surrounding borders for safety.
Tomorrow night, join me and Dr. Artie Gumer in prayer and community as I share the moving story of how a rabbi and her daughter fled from Odessa last week.
The rabbi of Odessa shared, “We plan to have an amazing Purim spiel this year. Purim reminds us how to survive evil. We pray for a Purim miracle, that the war will end and that justice will be done.”
May this be a Shabbat of Shalom,
Rabbi Rachael
D’var Acheir | Another Word
Ukranian Jews, despite it all, will find a way to bring the joy of Adar and the celebration of Purim to their communities. I hope that you will join with your Temple Emanu-El community in lifting up the spirit of Purim in one or many of these upcoming opportunities:
Saturday, March 12 11:00am: Purim Tot Shabbat
Wednesday, March 16 6:00pm: Adult Purim — Hamantaschen Hilarity with Dad's Garage
Friday, March 18 5:30pm dinner 6:30pm service Davis/DFRS Purim Shabbat
Sunday, March 20 10:30am: Purim Carnival
Sunday, March 20 12:30pm: TEFTY Annual AXE-cellent Purim Party
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