Can a Christian theater company put on a good Purim spiel?
I learned about "Queen Esther" from a TV ad. How could I resist going?
Purim
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Opinion How to get some Haredi children to stop wearing blackface on Purim
Six months ago, in a September interview with The New York Times, Chris Rock was asked about the effort then underway to expunge all uses of blackface in TV and movies. Specifically, the interviewer wanted to know whether Rock thought society was taking things too far. “If I say they are, then I’m the worst…
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News On the scene: Photos from a pandemic Purim in Brooklyn
A ninja in moon boots. Rectangular brothers, a Rubix cube and washing machine. Many a princess. A few questionable Native American costumes, complete with feather headdress and brownface paint. Purim fell on a warm and sunny day in New York City, after weeks of snow, and the kids were out in force in the Haredi…
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Opinion This Purim, don’t boo Haman
Purim is back, a year after many of us gathered in person for the last time, with very different masks on. Jewish communities all over are rising to the challenge of a virtual Purim with wonderful expressions of creativity and care, as we continue to struggle with the challenges of COVID-19, as well as with…
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Culture Why Hamantashen are the most divisive cookies in the world
Hamantashen are divisive cookies. Named after the Purim story’s villain, Haman, the triangle confections are supposed to resemble either his hat or his ears, depending who you ask — and many consider the often dry and crumbly cookie about as appetizing. Defending their honor is even part of the famed Latke-Hamantash Debate. (The Forward staff…
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Yiddish World WATCH: Learn some fun Yiddish words and proverbs about Purim
Ever wonder what Ashkenazi Jews baked for Purim, aside from homentashen? Learn about it in this special Purim edition of “Yiddish Word of the Day” by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter. You’ll also hear how to pronounce the names of the characters in the megillah, the story of Purim, in Yiddish, as well as a couple…
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Community After a year of extreme strain, we need Purim more than ever
Funny. Musical. Irreverent. These aren’t words we typically associate with synagogue, but Purim isn’t your typical holiday. Don’t call it “Jewish Halloween.” It’s not. Just because we wear costumes on both holidays doesn’t mean one has anything to do with the other. For centuries, theater has been used as satire and political commentary. The Purim…
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News Purim as a Jewish ‘National Coming Out Day’: What the holiday means for LGBTQ Jews
For many Jews, Purim may be the holiday when five-year-olds dress up like Queen Esther and 25-year-olds drink “until they can’t tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman,” but in recent years, the holiday has taken on a new meaning. For some, the story of Purim has come to embody the potential of the Jewish…
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