If Purim and St. Patrick’s Day, which both fall on March 17 this year, have one thing in common, it’s drinking. To mark the two holidays’ joint appearance on the calendar, Jay Sanderson, the former CEO and president of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, concocted a cocktail that combines the flavors of each. He…
If you plan to follow the Purim directive to drink until you can no longer tell the difference between “blessed is Mordechai” and “cursed is Haman,” then it would be advisable to have something of substance in your stomach when you do. What if this year’s hamantaschen could stand in for an actual meal —…
I learned about "Queen Esther" from a TV ad. How could I resist going?
Six months ago, in a September interview with The New York Times, Chris Rock was asked about the effort then underway to expunge all uses of blackface in TV and movies. Specifically, the interviewer wanted to know whether Rock thought society was taking things too far. “If I say they are, then I’m the worst…
A ninja in moon boots. Rectangular brothers, a Rubix cube and washing machine. Many a princess. A few questionable Native American costumes, complete with feather headdress and brownface paint. Purim fell on a warm and sunny day in New York City, after weeks of snow, and the kids were out in force in the Haredi…
Purim is back, a year after many of us gathered in person for the last time, with very different masks on. Jewish communities all over are rising to the challenge of a virtual Purim with wonderful expressions of creativity and care, as we continue to struggle with the challenges of COVID-19, as well as with…
Hamantashen are divisive cookies. Named after the Purim story’s villain, Haman, the triangle confections are supposed to resemble either his hat or his ears, depending who you ask — and many consider the often dry and crumbly cookie about as appetizing. Defending their honor is even part of the famed Latke-Hamantash Debate. (The Forward staff…
Ever wonder what Ashkenazi Jews baked for Purim, aside from homentashen? Learn about it in this special Purim edition of “Yiddish Word of the Day” by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter. You’ll also hear how to pronounce the names of the characters in the megillah, the story of Purim, in Yiddish, as well as a couple…
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