The Whole Megillah–Lilith Style!
March 15, 2011
And now, for your reading pleasure, a new way of thinking about Purim from Lilith’s senior editor, Rabbi Susan Schnur, in a four part series:
Our [Meaning Women’s] Book-of-Esther Problem
From Prehistoric Cave Art to Your Cookie Pan: Tracing the Hamentacsh Herstory
The Womantasch Triangle: Vashti, Esther and Carol Gilligan (A Developmental Look)
The Once and Future Womantasch: Celebrating Purim’s Full Moon as “Holy Body Day”
Enjoy, and share your own Purim reflections below.
The Lilith Blog is brought to you with the generous support of our donors.
5 comments on “The Whole Megillah–Lilith Style!”
Comments are closed.
I composed poetry on two Queens of Purim
Please honor both of them on Purim Eve.
Let us bring timbrels-
Or something akin:
We danced with those in the long,long,ago
New finger cymbals-small makers of music-
And shake them in honor when Vashti appears
Because
Had the Queen’s courage failed:
We would have had Haman …
Without any Esther.
And our Queen Esther should also be honored.
We should sound handchimes when Esther appears.
Nobody does such a thing in my family.
I only do it within my own mind.
Will someone change such a bleak celebration?
Honor two Queens upon this Purim Eve…?
To Louise Esther Rothstein
thank you for your poetry, it is great to hear Vashti recognised! At our earliest Purim parties here in the rainbow region of NSW in Australia, we always recognised her as an early feminist mentioned in the Torah (along with Shifra and Puah at Pesach)! It was controversial, but necessary – I certainly don’t want my little girls growing up thinking it is wrong to say ‘no!’
Happy Purim! May the sounds of timbrels, cymbals and handchimes beautify your celebrations so your wish for honouring the two Queens is granted.
Larisa Barnes
This, then, is the result of claiming that women can be rabbis. Actually, this is the result of claiming that The drivel of liberals worthy of any serious consideration.