RSS
Behind the Mask
Mendy, a Jewish Ukrainian refugee and student from the Alumim children’s home in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, dresses up for the Jewish holiday of Purim after arriving to Israel following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the Nes Harim Field and Forest Education Center in Nes Harim, Israel, March 17, 2022. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
JNS.org – Purim is a serious festival. Yet many people consider it merely a children’s masquerade party. The very notion of dressing up, wearing masks and creative costumes to disguise ourselves is the subject of much rabbinic commentary.
Why do we wear masks on Purim?
There is a wide variety of answers. Here are just a few:
- God initially concealed His face in the Purim story. We seemed to be on our own, facing total annihilation, until events turned around in our favor.
- The name of God is hidden in Megillat Esther, the “Scroll of Esther.” Imagine a whole book of Holy Scripture and God’s name does not appear once.
- Esther kept her Jewish identity hidden until she was called upon to save her people.
- The name Esther itself means hidden. In Deuteronomy 31:18, God says, “And I will surely hide (in Hebrew, astir) My face on that day … ”
- The miracle of Purim was not that obvious. The Jewish people’s deliverance from Haman’s final solution was masked in natural events.
And on this last note, it’s not only when God is splitting the sea or feeding us bread from heaven that we can discern the source of our miraculous survival and sustenance. God’s footprints can be seen all over His world. The Purim story is a classical saga of politics and palace intrigue, but behind the tale lies the hidden hand of God.
It just so happened that Queen Vashti was deposed, and the talent scouts found Esther. She was a nice Jewish girl who wasn’t looking to be the new queen, but she was drafted into the beauty contest and found favor in King Ahasuerus’s eyes.
It just so happened that Mordechai overheard two of the king’s palace guards plotting to assassinate Ahasuerus and told Esther, who, in turn, told the king in Mordechai’s name.
It just so happened that the king was suffering from insomnia and asked for his book of chronicles to be read to him so he could fall asleep. And the page that the reader opened to just so happened to be about how Mordechai saved the king’s life.
It just so happened that Haman arrived at the king’s palace—at that very moment—to ask for the king’s blessing to hang Mordechai, and the tables were quickly turned upside down.
And it just so happened that we had an insider in the palace, and Queen Esther was able to save the Jewish people single-handedly.
Each of these events, and there were others, could be put down to coincidence or good luck. We have all had the good fortune of having a good woman in the right place at the right time.
But when you consider all of these “it just so happened” events together, it can no longer be a random string of coincidences or simply serendipity. There has got to be a controlling hand moving the pieces on the board in a premeditated manner. We Jews call it Divine Providence.
Indeed, Purim reminds us to recognize the presence of God in natural events, too. The Creator is not only found in the supernatural.
Of course, the sun rising in the east every morning is a miracle. But when something is a daily occurrence and happens like clockwork, we tend to take it for granted. It’s only on rare occasions, like when we are on vacation and get to see a magnificent sunrise or sunset, that we even notice this magnificent miracle.
Yes, traditionally, we recite a thanksgiving blessing in the presence of a minyan—a public prayer quorum of 10 men—when we emerge from a dangerous experience safely. We Bentch Gomel, as it is called, after a voyage over the sea or desert, recovery from serious illness or freedom from incarceration. But if you think about it, we experience so many deliverances every day. Most of them go unnoticed. There are countless little miracles (and many not-so-little miracles) that occur, but they’re all part of our regular routines, so we take them for granted.
You crossed a busy highway and got to the other side safely. How many near-misses do we have when it comes to cars? My wife and I were driving home from a wedding late one night, and a car came straight at us at top speed. He was driving on the wrong side of the highway. I managed to move lanes quickly and avoid a head-on collision, which I doubt anyone could have survived at that speed! Thank God that does not happen every day.
And what about waking up every morning? And what of the food, clothing and shelter we enjoy? Do you know there are billions of people in the world who are not privileged to have these conveniences that we take for granted? If you have a home, a car and a computer, you are way ahead of half the world’s population.
And please don’t take your good health for granted. When I was a kid, I couldn’t understand why all the adults would say abi gezunt, “As long as you have your health.” What were they going on about health? Believe me, today, I understand it only too well.
We can be nonchalant about our business success, too. We may even be cynical. We can argue that our success is due to our business acumen and hard work, or we can be honest and appreciate that there are many smart, hardworking people out there who do not enjoy success. Why, then, should we?
And we can realize that God Almighty is clearly protecting Israel from all its murderous neighbors—and enemies who are not its neighbors at all—who are plotting our destruction, God forbid, or we can simply say that the Israel Defense Forces is the greatest army in the world and we protect ourselves. To be blind to all the miracles that have helped neutralize Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran is not only cynical, it is intellectually dishonest.
Whether it is in our personal lives or our national life, looking beneath the surface and reading between the lines is essential to understanding what is happening and appreciating that it isn’t just business as usual. That it isn’t even necessarily natural or logical. It is miraculous, albeit somewhat hidden from view. Our job is to probe beneath the surface to discern the hand of God in our own lives and the life of our nation.
With that awareness comes sensitivity, and then our attitude begins to change. We can verbalize and express our gratitude. We can share with the less fortunate, which is an important Purim mitzvah. We can do something for God as an expression of our thanksgiving for the little hidden miracles that keep us going through life.
May God continue to protect us all, and may we be wise enough to pierce the veil and see beyond the facade and behind the mask.
Purim Sameach!
The post Behind the Mask first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israeli Officials, Jewish Groups Congratulate New Pope Leo XIV
American cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Leo XIV, has been elected a new pope by the cardinal electors on the second day of the conclave. On May 8, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
Israeli officials and Jewish groups offered congratulations on Thursday following the naming of the new leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who has taken the name Leo XIV.
The announcement from the Vatican was met with joyous celebration and surprise, with spectators noting Leo’s trailblazing status as the first ever pope from the United States. Individuals and organizations tied to both Israel and the Jewish community expressed hope that Leo would help foster positive relations between Jews and Christians.
Isaac Herzog, the [resident of Israel, posted a statement on X/Twitter, saying that he hopes to work alongside the pope to strengthen the friendship between Jews and Christians.
“We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See, and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world,” Herzog wrote.
“May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples. May we see the immediate and safe return of the hostages still held in Gaza, and a new era of peace in our region and around the world,” Herzog continued.
The Israel Foreign Ministry also issued a congratulatory post on X/Twitter, saying that the organization hopes to forge a strong relationship with the new Catholic leader.
“We congratulate Cardinal Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV — the first American Pope — and Catholics around the world,” the ministry said. “We look forward to working together to further strengthen the relationship between the Jewish state and the Holy See. We hope to welcome you soon to the Holy Land.”
Jewish groups around the world expressed similarly optimistic sentiments about the new pope.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC), an organization that advocates on behalf of the Jewish community in the US, also acknowledged the naming of the new pope.
“We look forward to a close relationship with Pope Leo XIV as we continue to advance positive Catholic-Jewish relations for the benefit of Catholics, Jews, and all of humanity,” the AJC said.
The European Jewish Congress (EJC), an organization that advocates on behalf of the Jewish community within Europe, also expressed hope that the new pope would lead with “strength, wisdom, and compassion.”
“We extend our heartfelt wishes for strength, wisdom and compassion as he begins his mission as Supreme Pontiff,” the EJC added. “In an era that calls for moral leadership and unity across communities, we look forward to continuing and deepening the Catholic-Jewish dialogue, based on the Nostra Aetate declaration of 1965, rooted in mutual respect and shared values.”
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) similarly congratulated Leo.
“The WJC’s relationship with the Holy See spans decades and is grounded in a deep, ongoing commitment to interfaith dialogue. This partnership has centered on shared concerns such as the welfare of Jewish and Catholic communities, the fight against antisemitism and hatred, and the defense of religious freedom around the world,” WJC President Ronald Lauder said in a statement. “The WJC looks forward to continuing and deepening this essential dialogue under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV. At a time of global crisis, the importance of this relationship is only heightened.”
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also extended congratulations to the pope, expressing optimism that the new Catholic leader could foster “reconciliation among all faiths.”
“Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV and the Catholic community worldwide. I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,” Netanyahu said.
Leo XIV has not publicly expressed his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the ongoing war in Gaza. Relations between Israel and Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, became increasingly tense in the months following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, an attack that started the war in Gaza.
In December, Francis unveiled a nativity scene which featured a depiction of an infant Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh — a traditional Arab headdress that has been repurposed after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel to signal support for the anti-Israel activist movement. Some observers suggested that the scene in St. Peter’s Square — which was titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024” and designed by two artists from Bethlehem, Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi — effectively erased Jesus’s Jewish roots. Francis also accused Israel, without evidence, of inflicting a “famine” in Gaza and suggested that the Jewish state’s military tactics could be tantamount to a “genocide.”
The post Israeli Officials, Jewish Groups Congratulate New Pope Leo XIV first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iran, US to Resume Nuclear Talks on Sunday After Postponement
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, adding that the negotiations were advancing.
US President Donald Trump, who withdrew Washington from a 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers meant to curb its nuclear activity, has threatened to bomb Iran if no new deal is reached to resolve the long unresolved dispute.
Western countries say Iran‘s nuclear program, which Tehran accelerated after the US walkout from the now moribund 2015 accord, is geared toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes.
“The negotiations are moving forward, and naturally, the further we go, the more consultations and reviews are needed,” Araqchi said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.
“The delegations require more time to examine the issues that are raised. But what is important is that we are on a forward-moving path and gradually entering into the details.”
The fourth round of indirect negotiations, initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons.”
Araqchi said his planned visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Saturday was in line with “continuous consultations” with neighboring countries to “address their concerns and mutual interests” about the nuclear issue.
The post Iran, US to Resume Nuclear Talks on Sunday After Postponement first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Intercepts Missile Launched From Yemen, Houthis Claim Responsibility
A Houthi fighter mans a machine gun mounted on a truck during a parade for people who attended Houthi military training as part of a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Israel‘s military said on Friday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, an attack for which Yemen‘s Houthi forces claimed responsibility.
The incident came days after Oman said it mediated a ceasefire deal between the US and the Houthis, with the Yemeni rebel group saying the accord did not include close US ally Israel.
The Iran-backed militia, an internationally designated terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack, saying it fired a ballistic missile towards Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, according to the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said after the military reported the missile launch that Israel would respond forcefully in Yemen and “wherever necessary,” describing the Houthi missiles as “Iranian.”
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen as the group had agreed to stop attacking US ships.
But the Houthis have continued to fire missiles and drones towards Israel, most of which the Israeli military says it has intercepted, without casualties or serious damage occurring.
The Houthis have attacked numerous vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade, in a campaign that they say is aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has been fighting a war in Gaza since a deadly raid by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas into southern Israel in October 2023.
The Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” against Israeli and US interests in the Middle East, a group also including Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israel has weakened those groups by assassinating top leaders and destroying military infrastructure since the Gaza war began, though Houthi capabilities appear largely intact.
The post Israel Intercepts Missile Launched From Yemen, Houthis Claim Responsibility first appeared on Algemeiner.com.