Purim

March 7-9, 2012

This user-friendly wizard walks you through all of Purim's traditions and customs.

Purim is observed each year on the 14th of Adar, celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish people from the wicked Haman in the days of Queen Esther of Persia, as described in the book of Esther.

Purim is the wildest, most action-packed day of the Jewish year. 2400 years ago, Haman ordered genocide of the Jews. His plan was thwarted by Esther and Mordechai—and we celebrate!

Why is this seemingly trivial detail of Haman's plot magnified to the extent that the holiday is named after it? And why is the holiday given a name drawn from the Persian language?

Why do we disguise ourselves on Purim?

Suddenly, there was an awful noise. The name of Haman had been read, and little Yaakov was swinging his gragger with all his might. Everyone became very frightened. One man wanted to take the gragger away from him...

There are two holidays on which we spin. The Chanukah dreidel is spun from above. Purim's gragger is turned from below...

400 apartments housing 1,200 people were destroyed or damaged. Tel Aviv hospitals were prepared to handle mass casualties

Wine has no secrets: when a thing is what it is, it's the same from the inside looking out and from the outside looking in