The Book of Esther and the Haggadah tell of Jewish victories and the punishment of Jewish enemies. In 2024, they are prescient, agonizing and troubling as never before.

Purim is the only celebration in Judaism with an entire biblical book about its origins. The Book of Esther tells how she and her pious cousin, Mordecai, defeated the scheming Haman, a powerful ...

The Jewish holiday of Purim, starting Saturday evening, centers on the biblical Book of Esther. Set during the ancient Persian Empire, the story recounts how King Ahasuerus marries the beautiful ...

Is the Book of Esther repeating itself? Jewish ultra-Orthodox men and children, some wearing costumes, celebrate the festival of Purim at a synagogue in Bnei Brak, Israel, March 17, 2022.

Esther is an unusual biblical book, the only one that doesn't mention God. Also missing: prayer, ritual and other Jewish religious practices. The tone is not only secular but sometimes a bit bawdy.

The Book of Esther says celebrate it in the twelfth month of the year, so they do. To this day, the Karaites communities celebrate Purim on what would be Purim Katan for most other Jews.

The Book of Esther tells of two royal heroes who demonstrated leadership and authority in very different ways. Vashti, the incumbent queen, defied her husband’s demand to display her beauty in ...

The name Purim has Persian origins and means “lots.” The naming of the holiday comes from a section of the Book of Esther in which Haman drew lots to determine what date all the Jews in Persia ...

Purim begins at sundown on Wednesday. The holiday recalls the ancient story of how Queen Esther bravely saved the Jewish people. It is a tradition for groups of Jewish people to read from the Book ...

Admit it. At Purim in synagogue last evening, you probably did not finish Megillat Esther — the story of Esther. You wanted to, but you know how it is.

Note to the Haredim: You can try to take Purim away from women, but you can’t expunge women from this holiday. It’s called the Book of Esther, after all. Purim sameach.

We are responsible for ourselves. That is why it always makes sense to me that kids wear superhero costumes on Purim. The Book of Esther cries out for a stabilizing force for a turbulent world.