Header
Observance

Hiding Out on Purim

A childhood costume that once concealed what I wanted to hide now reveals what I want to hold tight

By Merri Ukraincik · March 22, 2016
Header
The Scroll

Immoral Esther?

Examining the ethics of the Purim story

By Tyler Samuels · March 4, 2015
Header
The Scroll

Mourning the Purim Princess Dress

After years of my daughter begrudgingly agreeing to tulle and tiaras, a revolt

By Courtenay Edelhart · March 3, 2015
Header
Personal History

For One Outspoken Teenager in Revolution-Era Iran, Queen Esther Was a Kindred Spirit

Amid political upheaval, an embattled girl fled entirely alone—the lessons of Purim’s heroine propelling her to freedom

By Sima Goel · March 3, 2015
Header
The Scroll

The Origins of Your Favorite Purim Customs

Costumes, revelry, and satire weren’t always synonymous with the holiday

By Shlomo M. Brody · March 2, 2015
Header
Observance

The Transgressive Spirit of Purim

I’ve spent years trying to find a costume, from Kurt Cobain to my own cat, that reflects a hidden side of my personality

By Siân Gibby · March 2, 2015
Header
Observance

Christians Have Fallen in Love With Queen Esther, Purim’s Jewish Heroine

In recent novels, sermons, and Bible-study guides, evangelicals and mainline Protestants alike find inspiration in the biblical tale

By Rebecca Phillips · March 12, 2014
Header
Observance

Home Away From Home

The Book of Esther, which chronicles the story of Purim, has special resonance for Jewish communities thriving in Diaspora

By Elihu Katz and Menahem Blondheim · March 6, 2012
Header
Family

Little Ladies

As Walmart launches a line of cosmetics for pre-teen girls, parents ponder whether their 6-year-old daughters should be wearing makeup—even if Queen Esther did

By Marjorie Ingall · February 22, 2011
Header
The Scroll

‘Commentary’: Feminists Are Ruining Purim

But isn’t some reinterpretation necessary?

By Marissa Brostoff · February 4, 2010
Header
The Scroll

Queen Sarah?

Sarah Palin as a 21st-century Esther

By Gabriel Sanders · July 9, 2009
Header
The Scroll

Daybreak: Israel Forgives, British Jews Don’t

Vandalism, a troublesome comparison, and more from the news

By Hadara Graubart · July 9, 2009
Header
Observance

Purimpalooza

Esther marries indie rock royalty

By Vanessa Davis · March 20, 2008
Header
Film

Royal Flush

A new film reinvents Queen Esther as the very first Bachelorette

By Sara Ivry · October 19, 2006
Load More...