Purim treats recall Queen Esther, a woman worthy of her crown
Spend holiday time with your kids while creating inventive and colourful treats to celebrate Queen Esther and all that she did for the Jewish People
Fines dropped on Purim minibuses – for now
The chassidic community of Outremont has won a legal round in its dispute with the borough over the use of minibuses on Purim
Should we unmask poverty?
By late Purim afternoon, I had heard the Megillah, distributed mishloach manot baskets and eaten the Purim meal. The final mitzvah to be done was matanot le’evyonim – gifts to the poor. Purim is the only day of the year on which we are specifically required to give charity to the poor. The requirement that the money be received by the poor on the day of Purim itself means that our usual ways of giving charity to the poor – through contributions to UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Mazon or local food drives – do not suffice.
Purim for grownups
What child does not love Purim? It has costumes, pageantry, nosherei, merriment, not to mention a story with intrigue, carnivalesque reversals and larger-than-life characters – the buffoon king, the beauty-pageant-worthy Jewish princess, the puffed-up villain, first humbled then defeated. What’s not to love?
Deal with Iran paves way to bomb, Netanyahu says
In his address to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that the proposed nuclear deal being negotiated with Iran will lead inexorably to a nuclear-armed Iran and war in the Middle East.
Purim: the fun holiday
“Eat, drink and be merry.” Hardly a directive one would expect from the pulpit. But this is Purim, and revelry and festivities are the order of the day.
Comic elements exist in the Megillah: a king’s wife spurned, a beauty contest to choose a new wife, an evil prime minister, the near annihilation of our people, a palace plot thwarted and our enemies defeated through the machinations of said new wife.
Mishloach manot: your guide to a perfect, personal treat
Purim is almost here and that means it’s time to prepare your mishloach manot, the traditional treats sent out to celebrate the happy holiday. But if you’ve never prepared mishloach manot – or if you’re tired of sending out those same boring candies – here are some creative yet simple ideas for you.
Can we Jews ever be happy?
Some branches of Judaism emphasize joy in daily life and practice, and having so much sadness in our history makes it important to cherish true simchah moments
Rabbi Avi Finegold
FOUNDER, THE JEWISH LEARNING LIBRARY, MONTREAL
Guelph shul’s project helps fulfil mitzvot of Purim
Over the past six years, Techiya Fisher’s initiative to bring the mitzvot associated with Purim to Guelph’s Jewish community has continued to gain momentum.
In her role as the wife of Rabbi Avraham Fisher, the spiritual leader of Guelph’s Beth Isaiah Congregation, and the program and events co-ordinator at the shul, Fisher organizes a mishloach manot fundraiser to fulfil the mitzvot of Purim and bring the Jewish community together.
Mishloach manot: sweet lessons in a basket
The ninth chapter of the Book of Esther states in verse 19: “Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and of sending portions to one another.” (Esther 9:19)
