Washington is Our Shushan, Purim is Our Day

Publication Date: July 2009

Publisher: National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (U.S.)

Author(s): Bradley Hirschfield

Research Area: Culture and religion

Keywords: Jewish Text; Political Behavior; Human Rights; Empowerment

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The author compares the opportunity to hold the Washington 12 conference, which gathers Jewish speakers and volunteers from across the country, to the opportunity that Jews had in Shushan when they took political action for the progress of humanity (now celebrated as the holiday of Purim). The author stresses that now Jewish people hold the power and influence to change the world for the better that their ancestors centuries ago strove to obtain. The author moves on to describe the roles of Mordechai and Esther in their plan of action, and how each individual has the potential to create change, just like Mordechai and Esther had done, so many years ago.