RABBIS' VOICES on Purim?” A: Q:
“What would you preach about
RABBI PETER H. GRUMBACHER Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth Emeth
The last century saw a change in the attitude of the Reform movement towards, let’s call it, Yiddishkeit . Early on, rabbis would not allow chuppahs for weddings (believe it or not), and in some congregations any head covering was forbidden; it wasn’t a suggestion, not wearing one was a command! Things have changed, Baruch ha-Shem . The most joyous celebrations in Jewish tradition resembled funerals in early to mid-20th century Reform congregations. One rabbi, when asked, “What do you do on Purim?” responded, “I preach.” We don’t preach today. We have terrific Megillah readings, Purim shpiels , and kids—even adults— get all dressed up in interesting costumes. With that in mind, I was wondering what I and Rabbi Winaker would “preach” about if that continued to be the way of my movement. I could think of a number of subjects including assimilation (something the Delaware rabbis have written about in this column), the conflict Queen Esther had as to Mordecai’s insistence that she tell Ahasheurus that she was a Jew, the portrayal of Vashti versus that of Esther. There are a lot of possibilities. But, this year, I might speak about the revenge enacted by the Jews of Shushan against their Persian neighbors. Haman and his sons were hanged, but the King gave his ok for Jews to slaughter the Persians. And according to Megilat Ester , slaughter they did! Thousands upon thousands died at their hands. As is the case with everything Jewish, with 10 of us in a room there will be 11 opinions at a minimum. We are currently debating the response of the Israeli government to the October 7th massacre. Was it (Is it?) overkill? Do the ends justify the means? I mean, Hamas has to go, but is the destruction of buildings and the death of thousands of Palestinians the right response? If I weren’t so suspicious of Netanyahu’s motives for his decisions, I would be far more supportive than I am. As I’ve said time after time, Israel can lose only once; the end of the Jewish State would be guaranteed if their Arab neighbors were victorious. In the case of the massacre described in the Megillah, we don’t have the same conditions, so it might indeed have been a response that should have been muted, if you will. I’m just not yet willing to say that about the post-October 7th response.
RABBI JEREMY WINAKER Executive Director, Greater Philly Hillel Network
A Reform rabbi of the last century, when asked, “What do you do on Purim?” answered, “I preach.” In place of, or in addition to, the fun, what would you preach about? Persia in 2026 is Iran. One could argue that King Ahasuerus in 2026 is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; though Khamenei could also easily be Haman. Is Esther in 2026 an Iranian citizen protesting her government or is she the American Jew who goes from trying to fit into American society and culture to the person showing up forcefully as a Jew to call out antisemitism? Is Mordechai in 2026 a social media influencer or a Jewish institution mobilizing in defense of Jews everywhere? The answers matter much less than the questions. For too many of us, for too long, we simplify the Purim story into tropes of heroes and villains. We skip over the many supporting characters unless they match that year’s Purim shpiel or themed reading of the megillah . And yet, the questions remind us that the topsy-turvy story is loaded with a key message: it is not that simple!
There is not only one kind of Jew in the Purim story; there is not only one kind of Persian in the Purim story. In addition to Esther and Mordechai, there are the Jews in Chapter 9, who kill 75,510 Persian enemies in two days. In addition to Haman and Ahasuerus, there are other members of the court—in the king’s harem, in the streets where Haman and then Mordechai parade, many of whom might oppose the King/Haman privately or publicly. Purim teaches us that we could be any one of these characters with our secrets revealed or our plans overturned. We, each of us, contain more than one identity. Here is why understanding that message matters: today’s world often demands that we pick sides. Sometimes we need to. Haman’s antisemitic charge that Jews are foreigners with their own laws (Esther 3:8) has to be confronted. Sometimes, though, we need to see someone else’s humanity (or our own) as complex, and to work together from that mutual recognition. Change does come from conflict, and change also comes from recognizing the costs of that conflict and deciding to embrace our differences. Recent Iranian protests may not lead to regime change this time. Our fight against antisemitism may be both quiet and loud. The message of Purim today is to see that we can change, we can be more than one thing, and through that recognition we might just find deliverance for ourselves and for others.
Each month, Rabbi Peter H. Grumbacher, along with rabbis from around the state, answer your questions about Judaism. Have a question? ASK THE RABBI! Send your questions to: AskTheRabbi@ShalomDel.org
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MARCH 2026 | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | ShalomDelaware.org
ShalomDelaware.org | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | MARCH 2026
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