Responding to Anti-Semitism After October 7 With Esther as a Guide

#purim #october7 #megillah

The Megillah (the biblical Book of Esther) is a story of anti-Semitism set in the Diaspora in a multiethnic empire where Jews were living in peace. How did the Jews of the story see themselves in biblical Persia, according to the biblical text? What were the various ways they responded to being a minority and to anti-Semitism, and how did that unfold? How in particular did Esther view herself, act, adjust in real time? How should we take the end of the Megillah, the forceful and violent Jewish response described there?

All of this hits us differently after October 7. Rabbi Jon Spira-Savett and Rabbi Dr. Karen G. Reiss Medwed walk through each part of the biblical story and reflect on how different parts resonate today and might answer some of the dilemmas we are facing. We recorded this conversation on March 17, 2024, a week before Purim, and much of it reflects the year and also the particular moment during this war.

To listen or view on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/MNYk9UXV8Ek

To read the biblical book of Esther (the Megillah): https://www.sefaria.org/Esther.1?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi

To continue this conversation with us, e-mail rabbijon@tbanashua.org and/or RabbiReissMedwed@gmail.com, and feel free to comment as well.