Today is day 167 of the war against Hamas. I’ve heard many people ask the question: How do we celebrate ______ when there are still hostages…when there are children and mothers starving in Gaza.
If you’ve had these thoughts, know that you’re not alone. Jews all over the world are holding these concerns.
However, we are on the edge of beginning one of the biggest celebrations of the year: Purim. During Purim, we are commanded to be celebratory, to feast, and to be merry.
For some, celebrating Purim will mean leaning into the celebration as a form of resistance, saying despite the rising hate and the war abroad, we will not be deterred from celebrating our Judaism. I call this the “Am Yisrael Chai” (the Jewish people live) approach.
For others, the celebratory feasting and merrymaking will not be their approach. Instead, they will lean into the other commandments of Purim: to send gifts to friends and those in need. Through these actions, some folks will find what I call a “Purim of purpose” during a time of deep struggle.
However, you mark the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, I hope you’ll join your Temple Emanu-El community on a weekend packed with meaning. There will be a little something for the “Am Yisrael Chai” group as well as the “Purim of Purpose.”
I can’t wait to see you (in costume!).
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rachael
