The timing of Israel’s strike, days before the holiday, prompted religious and political figures to invoke themes from the ...

How the Book of Esther uses letters to safeguard Jewish identity and language during exile and empire.

RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Since its inclusion in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther has been embraced in different ways and in ...

This year, however, I’m thinking less about the more joyous and humorous tones Purim brings and more about trauma.

Esther’s greatness lies not only in her willingness to speak truth to power, but in choosing the strategic moment to do so.

At the center of Hamadan, Iran, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, stands the holiest site for Jews ...

According to the tradition of the Jews of Persia, after Haman’s downfall, hostility toward the Jews intensified, and ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Esther denouncing Haman, who, according to the Purim story, attempted to have all Jews within the Persian Empire massacred.

In a few days, Jews will gather for the holiday of Purim and read aloud the Book of Esther. A month later, another gathering, another book — the Passover Haggadah. These ancient texts speak to us ...

The Book of Esther tells the remarkable story of a Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia and saved her people from genocide through courage and divine providence. Esther’s bravery in approaching ...

For more than four decades, Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers has made a ritual of reinvention, crafting Purim spiels that spoof the biggest names in popular culture with music and wit. While “A Hard Night’s ...