In Europe, my bubbe’s family owned a cow named Vashti. They were too poor to drink her milk or eat her cheese — this they sold to Jews more well-to-do than themselves — but they managed to subsist, from day to day, on the meager earnings derived from Vashti’s dairy products. It was my bubbe’s…
Every time a scandal erupts around the sexual behavior of a powerful man, someone seems to ask, “Well, why didn’t she say no?” It so happens that the Book of Esther begins with the story of a woman who “says no,” and it demonstrates that the consequences of “saying no” can be severe: Queen Vashti…
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. Cracow was an unlikely tourist stop for William Mehrvarz. Most Iranian millennials want to “See Iran First,” and their vacation itineraries often include the Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan or the Valley of Stars on the island of Qeshm. Mehrvarz opted for Cracow in August 2016 to investigate…
Masks perfectly encapsulate everything about Purim: a random series of events that mask God’s Divine Hand. To wear a mask is to hide one’s true self. But imagine a mask that not only conceals one’s true self, but also perfects the skin. After all, Purim can be an exhausting endeavor, filled with screaming, face-plant tantruming…
I could feel sweat dripping down every crevice. For my burlesque show, Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad, I was cloaked in a Hasidic costume, a man’s full itchy wool suit, fake payot, and a fur hat — all soon to be ripped off, minus the Star of David pasties. As I stepped on onto the…
Editor’s Note: Please read what’s new with our friends at Temple Beth Shalom, just click on the image to enlarge it. It’s been a hectic year, but Purim is a wonderful time to press pause on all the meetings and fundraising and legal settlements and just come together as a community to celebrate. As always,…
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. Yes, that’s right. Hamentashen with RADISHES. It’s a thing. Watch Rukhl and Eve prepare this tasty Purim pastry which they learned from the Vilna partisan, Chayele Palevsky:
The Jewish holiday of Purim is fast-approaching: In 2018, the holiday begins the night of February 28 and ends March 1st. The holiday, which commemorates the tale of how Queen Esther spoiled Haman’s plot to massacre the Jews in Persia, is often celebrated in part by baking (and eating) hamantaschen, triangular cookies with a filling…
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