If there is one word…

If there’s one word you should take out of the Purim saga it’s Zachor / Remember.

It’s the name of the Shabbat preceding Purim, and it sets the scene for the festival.

We may think Purim is all about carousing and masquerading, but there’s a deeper and more profound message in this little festival. It’s about remembering how virulent and enduring antisemitism is, how our enemies are unrelenting and ingenious in their attempts to eradicate us. Haman, like his predecessor Amalek, and his successors Hitler, Hamas, and Hezbollah are the genuine genociders.

And the latter day Persia, aka Iran, is once again at the forefront of global antisemitism, global genocide of the Jews.

Remembrance, says Jewish thought, is the secret of our redemption.

We remember not only the danger and devastation, but the strength and the conviction. We remember with pride the power of Jewish leadership – Mordechai and Esther. We recall the inspiring courage of Esther, the very model for a modern Jewish woman leader. And we pay attention to the challenging words of Mordechai to Esther because they apply to us all:

And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”.

We don’t ask to be in situations of distress or danger; but if called upon to respond, we should be ready. We, the Jewish people, have been tested to our limits over the last few years. We are an Australian Jewish community. We live in a time which demands of us hope, faith, conviction, and action. 

Let’s draw our inspiration from how the Jewish people in Persia responded to the dreadful and dangerous challenges of their time. Remembrance can, and should, lead to heightened awareness of our role in the world collectively and individually. It can and should lead to action and activism, a deepening of our Jewish lives and practices.

So remember this Purim to listen to the words of that ancient story, to hear a Megillah reading. To translate those words into a modern context. And don’t forget to celebrate the joy of being Jewish, to reach out to your friends and neighbours (including your non-Jewish neighbours) with a gift of food. Lift a glass of wine over a good meal and say a LeChaim to a strong and bold Israel, to a resilient and resourceful Jewish community, to a world in which we still have many allies and friends. Spread that Purim spirit in the words of the Megillah “of light and joy rejoicing and celebrating”.

Purim Sameach