Shinshinim 2024-2025

Shabbat Shalom everyone, and almost Purim Sameach. 

Purim is a very special holiday. Not only is it my brother’s favorite holiday, but the atmosphere around the holiday is incredibly unique.

As a kid in Israel, excitement around Purim is incredibly high. The process of picking or making a costume, the special days in school leading up to the holiday where you can wear pajamas, and the trip to the grocery store to make a Mishloach Manot all contribute to the festive environment of Purim. 

I think one of the reasons why Purim is so wildly loved, is its ability to provide a diversion from reality. Purim, by definition, is a day where you are “forced” to be happy. One of the biggest rules of the holiday is happiness and celebration, even when it is the last thing we feel like doing. 

This year, more than ever, Purim is important. Our challenge this year is finding the balance between the Mitzvah of celebration, and the pain of events taking place in Israel.

A week ago, I had a conversation with one of my friends here in the program. We talked about something that is very common in Israel nowadays. I’m sure all of you have heard about the Nova festival. Many of the hostages and victims of October 7th were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to dance, celebrate and enjoy life. In order to commemorate the fallen, nowadays in Israel it is common to host music festivals, parties and dances. 

At first, my friends and I weren’t sure how to feel. On one hand, it feels weird to celebrate in these times. Especially celebrating the very thing we are mourning. On the other hand, we said, no one knows the fallen more than their friends and family who decided to host the very event. 

Also, it is very common in Israel to choose celebration over deep mourning. Israelis are professionals at living alongside the hurt. 

A different friend also reminded me, this is true in every field. In history class, we focus much more on the heroic “Halutzim” narrative than on the hardships and sorrows. When holocaust survivors arrived in Israel, they were ashamed to admit what happened to them. The “Tzabbar”  Israelis viewed them as weak, and it didn’t fit their narrative of the “new”, strong Jew. Of course, this is an extreme and is not the current view of the holocaust and holocaust survivors, but it is an example of Israeli mentality.

This is still true today. While the country is in deep mourning, and will be for a long time, we refuse to lay down. We refuse to stop celebrating life, and  the people we love, or loved.

I believe this is true for Purim as well. We must not forget, and we will keep each and every one of the fallen and captive in our hearts, but that is the very reason we must celebrate. We should celebrate them, and celebrate for them.

Shabbat Shalom, and happy Purim.