Newspaper Page Text
/
+ V 4
Happy hullabaloo
A rabbi's problem with Purim
by Rabbi Noah Qollnkln
I have a problem with Purim.
For weeks preceding Purim
everybody is busy preparing for
the Purim Carnival and Purim
ball, for the beauty contest and
costume contest and the Purim
play and the Hamantaschan.
And when Purim comes,
everybody is busy making noise,
a lot of noise during the reading
of the Megillah. Who can think
in the midst of the happy
hullabaloo? When do we have
time to consider the message of
the holiday?
The story is generally well
known, better known than most
other stories, but what is the
massif? Did you ever stop to
think that the Emperor of the
powerful Persian Empire, King
Abashverue was a very liberal
King? He ruled over 127
different provinces inhabited by
different ethnic grouse.
Whenever the King issued a
decree he seat a copy of the
decree by messenger to each
province written in its own
languaf and in the particular
alphabet of that language. He
must have had quite a
secretarial staff.
Haman’s Charge
Now listen to the charge that
Ham an brings against the Jews,
to this liberal King: ‘There is a
certain people dispersed among
the peoples in all the provinces
of your Kingdom and their laws
are different from those of the
other people and the laws of the
King they do not keep.” Isn’t it
strange that in this Empire
where “differentnesa” is both
prevalent and respected the
Jewish “differentnesa” is easy
and sufficient reason for a
program of genocide.
Now let’s take a look at the
Jewish community. We hear
that Mordecai did not bow to
Haman. Do we hear that any
other Jew followed his example?
We don’t. Apparently Mordecai
was the only Jew who did not
bow. Yet, Haman becomes mad
not at Mordecai aione,*but at all
the Jews. Why? Not just mad,
but determined to exterminate
all Jews, men, women and
children! What a pity on the
Jews who did bow down - to no
avail.
Esther’s Assimilation
I would like to know, were the
Jews really different as Haman
claimed or were they highly in
tegrated and assimilated? Accor
ding to the Talmudic accounts
Jews frequently participated in
the elaborate banquets of the
King’s court. Even Esther was
thoroughly assimilated. How do
I know? She went by the name of
a Persian goddess, Esther. Her
cousin Mordecai was probably
the only one who knew her
Jewish name, Hadassah.
When Esther came to the
court of the King ahe' did hot
reveal her ethnic origin. She
must have been speaking the
Persian language without a,
trace of an ethnic dialect. She
must not have observed any of
the Jewish religious rituals,
otherwise she could not have
"passed.”
In fact Haman’s decree was
written on the 13th of Nisan and
therefore the famous meal of
Esther, Ahasueras and Haman
took place during Peeach. Yet,
we don’t seem to recall that
Esther ate Matzah at the meal or
served “Knaydlach".
Anti-Semitism Over the Ages
What does all this show?
The story has more than one
message, but they are all in
tertwined.
a The action of a single Jew
may have the most extreme
repercussions against all Jews.
b. No matter what the facts
are, an antisemite easily
’’generalises” from a single
Jewish encounter into a condo
nation of all Jews,
c. Antisemites often escalate
from tbe mere “teaching a
lesson” to the Hitlerian “Final
Solution”
d. Even the most liberal
regime that respects the right to
be different is not immune to an
tisemitism.
e. Jews are considered
“different" no matter how “in
different” they may try to be.
f. Assimilation eveq of the
most advanced kind offers no
protection against antisemitism.
g. Jews, eventually, learn to
carry Judaism with dignity.
If this reminds you of the
German-Jewish experience of
the 20th century, it s no acci
dent. This is what the Purim
story is about: a classic model of
a recurrent tragic phenomenon.
If we learn the leseon right it
need not be repeated again.
(Rabbi GoHnki* it spiritual
leader of Heeka Astana
Synaffogut in Knoxville.)
YmHIvo
high
High scorers Silbiger, Diamond, TafTel and Robbins.
Four out of 16 students in
Yeshiva High School’s tenth
grade class scored in the upper
ten percent of the nation on the
National Educational Develop
ment Test (NEDT).
sonal, comprehensive estimate
of student’s educational develop
ment.
Michael Diamond, William
Robbins, Eva Silbiger and Jay
Taffel all received certificates
for outstanding achievement for
their scores.
The NEDT offers an imper-
Plant A Tree
In Israel
Call JNF
237-1132
Presenting
the anti-inflation
Sunday Brunch.
$4.95, for everything you can let from our bountiful
buffet of eggs, lox and bagels, hot chafing
dishes, a variety of entrees, salads and assorted pastries.
Every Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. bring your family
to the Coach & Horses for a great meal and a great deal.
For reservations call 351-6100
Bloody Marys also available after 12:30.
% Mb ■
At Dunfey’s Royal Coach
INTERSTATE 75 at HOWELL MILL ROAD
ATLANTA GEORGIA 30318
Singtn Weekend in 9***
You are cordially invited to attend our third annual
SINGLES WEEKEND, June Uth through June 26th.
Please fill out and mail the form below, so that we
may have your current address.
I
f~
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
L-
MM:
«TKT:
COT:
IT4TF- m-
< - ^ ___
8EN0 TO: THE ATLANTA JEWISH SINGLES
P. O. BOX MMI
ATLANTA GEORGIA 30*47
TAtC NHL, 1$
Thm Insulation People
cau near raw
256-0232
BLOWN ISOLATION
DAY Off NIQHT
FRIK ESTIMATES
• New Or Older Homes
• Additional Insulation
• Reasonable Prices
• Try The People That Care
WO MSULAHON
Office: 155 E-Hammond Drive, Sandy Springe 30328
w.
monad
■ v.'X-tyf qjb «£«• •-v
A-*-
w ft
. ■
OVER 70 SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Imaginel Tennis on 13 lighted professional courts, staffed by a ‘well
known' Tennis ‘Pro' and 10 Instructors! Golf, on our own private
nine hole course! Riding on seven miles of trails spread over 525
acres of breethtakingly beautiful scenery! A childrens paradise . . .
25 sailboats, 3 motorboats. 4 Indoor Brunswick bowling lanes, canoe
trips, baseball, basketball, weterakling, drama and dance, karate,
fencing, rocketry, ham radio, archary, photography and gymnas
tics are just some of the many fascinating activities available! Agee
5 to IS. Fee Includes air fare allowance
* OUR 42nd. Year! * under Weinberg family direction
Dietary Law* Qtwerved Nationwide Enrollment
CALL OR WRITE FOR A BEAUJIFULCOLOR BROCHURE
ANNOUNCING limited Openings In the ATLANTA AREA
ATLANTA ASSOCIATE
Mrs. Sidney (Lee) Mendel
1303 Briardale Lane, N.E.
TiL, <404) 378-2881
8TAFFINQUIRIES INVITED
Separata camp* of dittinotion for Boy< and Girl* on beautiful Reflection
Lake In the picturs*que Pocono Mountain* of N.E. Pennsylvania
333<aai2>»s!® ©naaips
WHKTCN OFFICE: OSHCeeter Avenue, PhiMetphte, Penneyfvtnle 1f 14L
Phene: (218) B33-1BB7