By Laura Seymour

There is a mitzvah called hiddur mitzvah, which teaches that we should beautify the mitzvah to make it special. I worry that this has become another form of commercialism. I love buying “Jewish stuff,” and I believe it is an important part of our celebrations and daily life. Purim is just around the corner, and we are getting ready with Purim plays, finding costumes and preparing mishloach manot baskets. It is a fun and exciting time, especially for children, although sometimes we forget that celebrating holidays is just as important for adults — and for adults to find new meaning in the messages of the holiday.

Yet, as we prepare for Purim, the marketing push for Passover has already begun. Why the rush? How can we slow down and take the time to enjoy today? The Jewish year gives us so many wonderful touchpoints, from weekly Shabbat to monthly Rosh Chodesh to our many yearly holidays — not to forget the daily reminder to say 100 blessings. The cycle of the year may feel as if we must rush from one moment to another, but perhaps we should take a breath and savor the moments more.

By the time we get to Purim, I will have shared the story many times in various ways — from telling it to toddlers with puppets to going deeper with adults to having fun with the story’s intrigue. I often joke that I am done with the holiday by the time it arrives and ready for the next one. However, I must stop, and I challenge everyone to stop and simply experience the moments leading up to and during the celebration. Then, just as importantly, sit back at the end and remember those moments before rushing off to the next holiday. So I am ignoring the push to start looking at different Haggadot — we have time.

And a final, ongoing thought: Today, as Jews find themselves caught between loudly proclaiming Jewish identity and hiding it, we must take stock of what we show to the outside world. This is part of the message Mordecai gives to Esther when he tells her not to reveal that she is Jewish. Then, of course, comes the moment when she must decide to stand up for herself and her people. Most of us do not face these defining moments often in our lives, but we do have smaller moments all the time when we must decide whether to step forward or hide. As we prepare for the fun of Purim, use this holiday to think about — and share — those moments.

Laura Seymour is Jewish Experiential Learning director and Camp director emeritus at the Aaron Family JCC.