By Laura Seymour

Dear Families,

Last week I began “teaching” Purim, which meant telling the story and singing songs to all of our classes at the Goldberg Family Early Childhood Center. By the end of the week, I thought I was almost “Purimed” out with days and days to go before the holiday and many more retellings to many different groups looking for different understandings. It would be great if the story we tell young children without the intrigue and questions on the power of women in past times (and today) were all there was, but there is so much more.

As we prepare and celebrate in various ways — from being part of our synagogue’s Purim play to creating mishloach manot baskets for friends to wondering why people are dressed in costume at the J — it is time to really read the “whole Megillah.” Here are the basics:

• King Ahasuerus of Persia throws a big party for all the men in Shushan.
• King Ahasuerus dethrones Queen Vashti because she won’t dance at his party.
• Esther is crowned queen after winning a beauty contest.
• Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king and reports it.
• King Ahasuerus promotes Haman (the “bad guy”), making him very powerful.
• Mordecai refuses to bow before Haman — we only bow to God.
• Haman seeks to destroy the Jews after his run-in with Mordecai.
• Mordecai appeals to Esther to save her people.
• Mordecai is honored for having saved the king’s life.
• Esther has a party for the king and Haman. She pleads for her people and accuses Haman.
• The king grants Esther’s request and condemns Haman to die.
• The Jews defend themselves throughout Persia (against those following out the decree to destroy the Jews).
• The holiday of Purim is established.

There are so many parts that we don’t focus on: What went on at these parties? Was Vashti a hero or a fool? Was it really a beauty contest? Why stick in the part about the plot that Mordecai uncovers and then later is rewarded for? Who was Zeresh? And, probably most importantly, why do we skip over the massacre at the end of the story?

Not only is this the best movie plot with great characters, but it is such fun! Yet, we read it each year so we must ask ourselves, what should we be learning from it all? And today, with all that is going on in the world, do we have the strength to stand up and be brave? So often we ask what we can do and the answer is in the Book of Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.” We are all Esther.

Laura Seymour is Jewish experiential learning director and camp director emeritus at the Aaron Family JCC.