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| Purim is a one-day celebration observed on the 14th of Adar, one month before Passover. It commemorates the saving of the Jewish community living under Persian rule from Haman's evil designs to exterminate them. The events described in the Book of Esther took place some 2500 years ago. The name Purim derives from the name Pur, which means lottery, the method by which Haman selected the date for his massacre of the Jews. Haman's designs have had their unfortunate parallel in the evil designs of many other rulers in whose lands Jews have lived throughout the centuries. The precarious nature of Jewish survival in countless countries of the Diaspora where the fate of the Jews was often subject to the whim of the local ruler, is epitomized by the story of Purim. The sudden twist of events in the Purim story which turned the tables on the oppressor and enabled the Jewish community to defend itself has provided a spark of hope and encouragement to to oppressed and victimized Jewish communities throughout the centuries. |
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