Esther

Purim: The First International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day, and we have a confluence, as we sometimes do, between secular observances and our Jewish ...

A Global Purim Menu and Identity Discussion Guide

Purim is all about the hiding. Esther hid her identity from King Ahashverosh. Haman hid his evil side from the ...

Is Interfaith Marriage Good for the Jews?

Interfaith marriage is in the Jewish news again — just like it was in 500 BCE, as Jews returned from ...

Recipe: Sephardic Cookies for Purim

Purim is right around the corner!  Among the traditions of the holiday is the exchanging of gifts of food with ...

Scribes in a Circumscribed World: From Esther to Me

Purim is the one day of the year I feel empowered in my community. The rest of the year, services ...

Did Esther and Ruth Break the Glass Ceiling? A Debate

Meesh: Back then, in biblical times, the ceiling was not glass, and I don’t think Esther or Ruth made any attempt ...

Finding My Voice Through the Book of Ruth

I have always fancied myself as a feminist. When I was in primary school, I remember arguing with one of ...

Purim: Not So G-Rated

When I think of the Purim holiday, I tend to think of noise-making, carnivals, costumes, and cookies. It was definitely ...

Mensch Madness, Game 1: Esther vs. Hannah!

In the South, we love our sports. March Madness is on the horizon and our minds are on the game! ...

Lost and Found: An Airplane and a Bar Mitzvah

My husband and I are binge-watching  Lost , a 2004-2010 TV series. An airplane crashes, leaving survivors stranded without rescue ...