Purim

Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s “plot to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews”, as recorded in the book of Esther. It begins on the 14th of Adar, the Hebrew month.

Who celebrates?

Jewish people around the world.

How do people celebrate?

• Observances on this day include reading the book of Esther, giving money to at least two poor people, sending two kinds of food to at least one person and a festive Purim feast
• For many Jewish people festivities also include fancy dress and parties.

What should I know?

• The festival honours the Jewish heroine Esther, whose story appears in the Torah and Old Testament
• Purim begins at sunset on the 25th February and lasts until sunset on the 26th
• Purim is a time of fun and entertainment. Unlike many of the Jewish holidays, it is not restricted to work on Purim
• In the 2011 UK census, 0.5% of the population identified as Jewish.

How can I support others?

• Ask people if they or their families will be celebrating
• Encourage celebrations internally and externally
• Don’t assume that if someone’s Jewish they will eb celebrating
• Talk to your team about the religious representation among your volunteer, employee and service user population and if it’s representative of your area.

BBC: Purim: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/purim_1.shtml

Jewish learning: Purim: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/purim-101/

Purim recipes: https://www.thespruceeats.com/purim-food-primer-with-menus-2122212#:~:text=For%20Ashkenazi%20Jews%2C%20perhaps%20the,with%20dates%20or%20poppy%20seeds.

Jewish practice: https://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/645309/jewish/What-Is-Purim.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjw64eJBhAGEiwABr9o2IR7sEgGy6d67jw3tefzaAT7BiShpLrIYXZ7xZQyMVKy-q8BD0jBcBoCLbQQAvD_BwE