ha
H desh February-March 2024 Shevat-Adar I-Adar II 5784
From Rabbi Kling Perkins A Story For This Moment Purim has always been a favorite holiday of mine. Not just because it has twice fallen on my birthday, but because it is a joyful time. As a kid, I loved the costumes, the carnivals, and the fun festive meals. As an adult I continue to enjoy the upbeat atmosphere, the Purim spiels and the clever acapella songs that abound online, and the megillah reading. But despite the joy, Purim is a dark holiday as well. At the end of the book, the Jews aren’t much better off than they were at the beginning. They are still subject to the whims of an impulsive king. They are still a minority. And they are still in exile. Moreover, the way that the Jews were saved at the end of the book wasn’t by annulling the decree encouraging people to kill them. Instead, the Jews were saved because they were allowed to fight back. The end of the megillah can feel quite distasteful, as it describes the violence with which the Jews fought back and killed their aggressors. I’ve always thought of Purim as the ultimate holiday of the diaspora. Its story takes place entirely outside of the land (continued on page 11)
Rabbi Lerner gave preschoolers a hands-on lesson in Torah and tefillin. More photos on page 5.
Saturday, March 23 Celebration and silliness for all ages! Schedule on page 3