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 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 ...

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.

The biblical story for the holiday of Purim is the Book of Esther, known as the Scroll of Esther, which recounts the events in Persia that led to the saving of the Jewish people, with Queen Esther ...

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 ...

The Book of Esther tells how she and her pious cousin, Mordecai, defeated the scheming Haman, a powerful royal adviser, thereby saving the Jewish people from annihilation.

Purim’s original queen: How studying the Book of Esther as fan fiction can teach us about the roots of an unruly Jewish festival By Esther Brownsmith, University of Dayton March 21, 2024 ...