Purim: The Festival of Festivals

Today is the Jewish holiday of Purim. It is not one of the “important” ones where you sit in synagogue all day or have to fast, but it is certainly rich with traditions and one of the most upbeat holidays of them all.

One of the most well-known traditions on Purim is dressing in costumes. Last night, on erev Purim (Purim eve), the streets of Tel Aviv were filled with people dressed as everything from princesses in drag, to chimney sweepers to movie characters and everything in between. The city was alive and it felt good to be a part of it.

But beyond the parties and the costumes, Purim has a story behind it, and while it may not be part of the Torah, there is still a megilah scroll that is read in synagogue. To reiterate something I heard once heard about how to explain close to every Jewish holiday: “They tried to kill us, we overcame them….lets eat!”

While my friends back in the States knew that it was Purim, I actually felt that it was Purim…and that makes all the difference.