Purim IV — Making Purim Matter in the Present Crisis
by Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Nate DeGroot
Dear colleagues and companions in the struggle to renew Judaism so that we can renew the world toward love and justice —
In 1969, the Freedom Seder sparked a new Burning Bush of Jewish action for social and racial justice in the US. Could an intervention into Purim at this moment encourage a new outlook on Israeli and American Jewish policy toward Palestine?
We are planning two interventions: one for the Fast of Esther (sunrise to sunset Thursday, March 21) and one for Purim itself (Saturday evening March 23-Sunday March 24).
Ta'anit Esther (Fast of Esther)
Tent of Mourning
We are erecting a physical Tent of Mourning in the Bay Area on Ta'anit Esther for all those whose hearts are open and tender enough to grieve both Gazan and Israeli lives lost on and beyond 10/7. Inspired by Queen Esther's ritualized grief in the Purim story, we are curating a full day of sessions, teachings, and ritual to support attendees in deepening and expanding their grief. With a mix of traditional and creative mourning practices, we are opening to the possibility that, through our shared grief, new paths forward might shake loose for us as individuals and more broadly. You can see all about the actifest here. If you have people in the Bay Area that you think might be interested in this actifest, please share the link with them!
Chapter 9 Project
For hundreds of years, the satirical story of a pompous king and a violently vicious prime minister, a wise Mordechai and a courageous Esther, gave Jews a satirical tale they could turn to early-spring hilarity. Yet as you may be aware, Chapter 9 of the story we read on Purim (Megillat Esther) is deeply problematic. The satirical Scroll warns that even the Jewish leaders, newly liberated from the danger of their own annihilation, might over-reach. They might vengefully respond to their own barely averted annihilation by annihilating more than 75,000 Persians.
Once Jews came to have the power to write midrash not only with pens and typewriters but also with the power of the machine-gun, the story of Chapter 9 became dangerous. On Purim Day in 1994, Dr. Baruch/ “Aror” Goldstein took this passage as factual history to be imitated, and murdered 29 Muslims who were prostrate in prayer in the Mosque at the Grave of Avraham/ Ibrahim/ Abraham. (To Jews, Arabs, and Muslims, Abraham is revered as the ultimate Forebear of all their peoples.)
In 1994, the Kahaneist political party that supported Goldstein’s act was outlawed by the Israeli government. But in 2024, two Kahaneists hold crucial offices in the government, making policy in the war that has killed thousands of Palestinians.
In today’s moment of history, this response to reading Chapter 9 of seems ever more concerning, as it is all too reflective of the Israeli government's current military actions in Gaza and the spirit of many in the Jewish community who support these actions.
In response, we're inviting a select group of people to reimagine a new Chapter 9 that centers wholeness and dignity for all and offers different endings to the Purim story. We're going to compile the submissions into a digital collection that we'll send out broadly to folks on our list and beyond, with suggestions for how to incorporate these new Chapter 9s into Purim celebrations and learning. Can this rereading of the story — addressing the question, “What would Queen Esther do today?” — help change the future? For that is what an “actifest”” is intended to do: carry Jewish values of love and justice into transforming the future, not only celebrating the past.
As a hint of what might be possible, we share with you one response from a member of our Board, Lex Rofeberg, to the Chapter 9 project:
I'm so energized to hear about the Chapter 9 Project — revisioning this text, and how we mobilize it, is so important. On a personal level, I look forward to sharing it with Jewish and non-Jewish loved ones. And on a broader level, this project will serve as a model for reimagining Judaism in ways that will better serve justice for all people. Can't wait to share these new sacred texts with the world!
These new Chapter 9s will be shared right here in your inbox over the next few weeks.
First, we will share an original re-write from Arlene Goldbard,who shared deep wisdom with this list last week about this project and her approach to transforming Esther.
Then in early March, the full collection will be made available for viewing and download. Since Purim will still be a few weeks off, you should have enough time to meaningfully integrate these new endings into your personal and communal Purim celebrations and rituals and share them widely with your networks and loved ones.
By the time Purim rolls around, perhaps our collective grappling with this dark and tragic aspect of our tradition together might just help us imagine new worlds into existence.
Purim email series
For a much richer review of the past, present, and possible future career of the Scroll of Esther and the celebration of Purim, see the previous entries in our Purim email series: Purim I, Purim II, Purim III.
And for the place of the Purim actifest in the larger story of a newly self-confident Diaspora Judaism, see Shaul Magid’s book The Necessity of Exile, published by Ayin Press.
Blessings from us to each of you of Truth, Justice, and Shalom
— Arthur & Nate