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A Purim Guide for the Perplexed, 2025
A Hamentashen pastry commonly served during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Photo: Rebecca Siegel via Flickr.
Ahead of this year’s Purim celebrations on Thursday night, here are seven facts you should know about the holiday:
1. Purim is a Jewish national liberation holiday — just like Passover and Hanukkah — which highlights the transition of the Jewish people from subjugation to liberty. It is celebrated seven days following the birth and death date of Moses — a role model of liberty, leadership, and humility.
2. Here is some information on Purim’s historical background:
A Jewish exile to Babylon and Persia was triggered by the 586 BCE destruction of the First Jewish Temple and the expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria by the Babylonian Emperor, Nebuchadnezzar. Persia then replaced Babylon as the leading regional power.
In 538 BCE, Xerxes the Great, proclaimed his support for the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, the resurrection of national Jewish life in the Land of Israel, and the recognition of Jerusalem as the exclusive capital of the Jewish people. In 499-449 BCE, King Ahasuerus established a coalition of countries — from India to Ethiopia — which launched the Greco-Persian Wars, aiming to expand the Persian Empire westward. Persia was resoundingly defeated (e.g., the 490 BCE and 480 BCE battles of Marathon and Salamis), and Ahasuerus’ authority in Persia was gravely eroded.
3. “Purimfest 1946” yelled Julius Streicher, the Nazi propaganda chief, as he approached the hanging gallows in Nuremberg. On October 16, 1946, ten convicted Nazi war criminals were hanged, similar to Haman’s ten sons, who were hanged in ancient Persia. An 11th Nazi criminal, Hermann Goering, committed suicide in his cell, similar to Haman’s 11th child, who committed suicide following her father’s demise (according to the Talmud’s Megillah tractate 16a).
Julius Streicher’s ranch served as a camp for young Jewish Holocaust survivors on their way to Israel following World War II.
4. Remembrance is at the core of the Purim holiday. The Scroll of Esther — which narrates the Purim saga — is also named The Book of Remembrance. The pre-Purim Sabbath is called The Sabbath of Remembrance (Zachor in Hebrew), commemorating the deadly threat of the Amalekites (the ancestors of Haman), who aimed to annihilate the Jewish people following their deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 commands the remembrance of the Amalekite’s attempt to annihilate the Jewish people following the Exodus from Egypt, on the way to the Land of Israel. These verses are read in synagogues/temples on the Sabbath preceding Purim.
5. Queen Esther is Purim’s heroine. The Scroll of Esther is one of the five Biblical scrolls, which are highlighted on Jewish holidays: Song of Songs (Passover), Scroll of Ruth (Pentecost), Lamentations (the 9th day of Av – destruction of the Jewish Temple), Ecclesiastes (Feast of Tabernacles), and The Scroll of Esther (Purim).
Esther symbolized the centrality of women in Judaism, as did Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah (the Matriarchs), Miriam (Moses’ older sister), Batyah (who saved Moses’ life), Deborah (the Prophetess, Judge and military leader), Hannah (Samuel’s mother) and Yael (who killed Sisera, the Canaanite General).
Esther was one of the seven Biblical Jewish Prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Sarah lived 127 years and Esther was the Queen of 127 countries. The Hebrew name of Esther was Hadassah, whose root is Hadass, which is the Hebrew word for the myrtle tree. The myrtle tree features prominently during the Feast of Tabernacles. It is known for its pleasant scent and humble features, including leaves in the shape of the human eye. Greek mythology identifies the myrtle tree with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
6. Mordechai, the hero of Purim and one of the deputies of Ezra the Scribe, was a role model of principle-driven optimism in defiance of colossal odds.
The first three Hebrew letters of Mordechai (מרדכי) spell the Hebrew word “rebellion” (מרד). Mordechai did not bow to Haman, when the latter was the second most powerful person in the Persian Empire. Mordechai was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, the only son of Jacob who did not bow to Esau.
Mordechai was a descendant of King Saul, who defied a clear commandment to eradicate the Amalekites, sparing the life of Agag, the Amalekite king, thus precipitating further calamities upon the Jewish People. Mordechai learned from Saul’s crucial error and eliminated Haman, a descendant of Agag the Amalekite, thus sparing the Jewish people from a major disaster.
7. Purim’s (פורים) Hebrew root is “fate” as well as “casting lots” (פור), commemorating Haman’s lottery, which determined a designated day for the annihilation of the Jewish People. It also means “to frustrate,” “to annul” (הפר), “to crumble,” and “to shutter” (פורר), reflecting the demise of Haman.
The author is a commentator and former Israeli ambassador.
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Far-Left US Lawmakers Blast Israel for Resuming Military Campaign in Gaza, Accuse Jewish State of ‘Genocide’
US Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), left, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) listen during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, July 18, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Progressive US lawmakers largely condemned Israel on Tuesday after it resumed military operations in Gaza following the collapse of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, falsely accusing the Jewish state of committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians and demanding the immediate implementation of an “arms embargo.”
On Monday night, Israel resumed airstrikes targeting Hamas in Gaza under the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose office said in a statement that the military action followed “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the sole Palestinian American in Congress and a strident critic of the Jewish state, repudiated Israel’s decision to restart the military campaign against Hamas. Tlaib demanded the White House pause weapons transfers to Israel in response to what she described as a “genocide” unfolding in Gaza.
“The Israeli apartheid regime has resumed its genocide, carrying out airstrikes all across Gaza and killing hundreds of Palestinians. This comes after a complete blockade of food, electricity, and aid. They will never stop until there are sanctions and an arms embargo,” Tlaib wrote on X/Twitter.
Tlaib appeared to be referring to Israel’s decision earlier this month to block humanitarian aid transfers into Gaza as a way to pressure Hamas to agree to an extension of a ceasefire agreement that went into effect in January. Hamas refused to do so.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), another vocal critic of Israel, blasted the Jewish state for launching airstrikes against Hamas. Sanders accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal and reiterated his demand for the end of US aid to the Jewish state.
“Netanyahu has not allowed any food, water, or fuel into Gaza in two weeks. Now he has resumed bombing, killing hundreds of people and breaking the ceasefire that had given Gaza a chance to live again. NO MORE MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL,” Sanders posted on social media.
In November, Sanders spearheaded a failed effort to impose a partial arms embargo on Israel.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), a left-wing lawmaker and consistent critic of Israel, condemned the “horrific images” emerging from Gaza after the relaunching of the war effort. The progressive firebrand denounced Israel’s military operations as a “genocide” and called for an arms embargo to be placed on the Jewish state.
“Once again our timelines are flooded with horrific images of Palestinian babies massacred by the Israeli government. Israel has consistently violated the ceasefire and in the past two weeks, cut off all aid to Gaza. Just last night, they killed 400+ people. This US-backed genocide must end,” Lee wrote.
In the 17 months following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacres across southern Israel, progressives have grown increasingly critical of the Jewish state. Left-wing lawmakers have accused Israel of using “indiscriminate bombing” and “starvation” as a method of punishment against Palestinian civilians. They have also spearheaded multiple efforts to impose a unilateral “ceasefire” or “arms embargo” upon Israel, arguing that the Jewish state has embarked on a “genocidal” revenge campaign against the people of Gaza.
In addition, many progressives often refuse to mention or condemn Hamas when making public statements regarding Israel’s war efforts, and they rarely note Hamas’s widely recognized military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
However, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of the most vocal defenders of Israel in the federal government, issued support for the Jewish state amid a barrage of backlash.
“I unapologetically, 100% stand with Israel, and demand the release of all remaining hostages,” Fetterman wrote on X/Twitter.
Israel says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, noting its efforts to evacuate areas before it targets them and to warn residents of impending military operations with leaflets, text messages, and other forms of communication.
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Hamas Must Be Destroyed
Kfir Bibas. Photo: Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
In the wake of the cold-blooded murders of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas by the literal hands of Hamas terrorists, I have been haunted by the similarities between Kfir and my own two-year-old son.
My son was born exactly a month before Kfir. Like Kfir, my son had red hair when he was little. My son laughed like Kfir when he was a baby. Like Kfir, my son is a Jew. But unlike Kfir, my son is a Jew, who by privilege and fortune to be born an American and live in the United States, does not need — I pray — to fear being stolen and murdered by Hamas terrorists simply for being Jewish.
In the well over 500 days since October 7, 2023, the kidnapping and murder of Kfir Bibas symbolizes Israel’s just and necessary response to Hamas’ massacre in Israel. Kfir is and was innocence and goodness personified. Hamas is Amalek, the Biblical enemy of the Israelites, and a symbolization for the epitome of evil. There can be no tolerance for such evil, and I strongly believe that Israel has every right to continue fighting Hamas until the terrorist organization has been destroyed.
Hamas is not only an enemy of Israel, but also of the United States. Since 1997, the US State Department has designated Hamas a foreign terrorist organization. As of March 2025, Hamas still holds 21-year-old New Jersey native Edan Alexander hostage, along with the remains of four other murdered Americans. On October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered more than 40 Americans.
Although it is true that Hamas has been weakened since October 7, 2023, and has suffered the loss of many of its key leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, due to the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) valiant and justified campaign, Hamas still remains in a position of strength.
The fact that Hamas has been able to continue to negotiate with Israel to ensure the release of hundreds of terrorists, many of them serving life sentences for the murder of Israelis, in exchange for the release of innocent hostages, and the bodies of deceased hostages, is sickening. The ongoing sadistic exchanges where Hamas terrorists paraded the hostages, or murdered bodies of hostages, in front of cheering crowds of their supporters calls into question how such negotiations have been even permitted to progress.
The unbalanced negotiations are not the fault of the IDF, but that of politicians — both Israeli and American. To be clear, in bringing the fight to Hamas, the IDF has endeavored to minimize civilian casualties despite operating in an extremely dense, urban, environment in which Hamas terrorists actively hide among hospitals, mosques, and kindergartens.
In fact, the IDF has gone to greater lengths than any other military in the history of modern warfare to minimize civilian casualties. I firmly believe that the soldiers of the IDF should be commended by all freedom loving nations for their adherence to the highest standards of moral and ethical war fighting.
In looking ahead to the coming months, Israel must continue to ratchet up all available military and political pressure on Hamas in order to crush the terrorist organization once and for all. I do not think that Israel should continue to follow the outlined steps of the phased hostage deal — as terrible as that may be for the plight of the remaining hostages — because to do so only encourages Hamas to plan future October 7th style attacks to kidnap more hostages to use as bargaining chips down the road.
I think it is excellent, and necessary, that Israel has once again resumed offensive operations against Hamas. Initial reports indicate that serious damage has been done to Hamas’ leadership and combat units. Israel should continue to maximize the good will of the Trump administration, and the current Republican-held US Congress, to unleash hell on every aspect of the Hamas terrorist organization. Israel must remain focused on dismantling Hamas’ organizational and tactical capabilities in order to ensure that Hamas can never again threaten Israel.
I would also like to see increased US military support for destroying Hamas. Although I would not support “regular” US military service members on the ground in Gaza due to the possibility of another Middle East quagmire, I would recommend that US Special Operations Command be given broad leeway by the Trump administration to employ the necessary assets to rescue Edan Alexander and avenge the deaths of the Americans killed on October 7, 2023. I would further recommend that the Trump administration sanction any states that provide safe harbor to Hamas terrorists, including Qatar and Egypt. This could involve cutting off foreign aid, imposing economic penalties, or barring diplomatic travel. Hamas, and its enablers, must understand that they will never be safe, whether in Deir al-Balah or Doha.
Only when Hamas feels the full military and political weight of Israel and America, and begs for the fighting to stop, will the memory of Kfir Bibas, his family, the 241 hostages, and the 1,200 murdered Israelis be avenged — and prevented from happening again in the future.
Micah Q. Jones is a publishing Adjunct at The MirYam Institute, a US Army veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service. He is a litigation associate in the Boston office of an international law firm.
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Israeli Military Says It Has Begun New Ground Operation in Gaza
Illustrative: Israeli soldiers operate at the Shajaiya district of Gaza city amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, Dec. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Yossi Zeliger
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces have resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes targeted fighters and infrastructure of the Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The operations have extended Israel‘s control over the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza, and were a “focused” maneuver aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and the south of the enclave, the military said.
The renewed ground operations come a day after Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza, arguing Hamas rebuffed diplomatic efforts at extending a ceasefire and releasing Israeli hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that the goal of the military campaign in Gaza remains to achieve “the objectives of the war as they have been determined by the political echelon, including the release of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”
Netanyahu said on Tuesday night that Hamas in Gaza has “already felt our strength” since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) returned to fighting, warning that future ceasefire negotiations with the terrorist group “will only take place under fire.”
However, Hamas insisted that it has not abandoned negotiations. “Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations, but we insist there is no need for new agreements,” senior official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Wednesday, calling for international pressure to enforce the ceasefire.
Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching the truce, which went into effect on Jan. 19 and saw a weeks-long pause in fighting as Hamas released 33 hostages, 25 alive and eight dead bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving lengthy sentences in Israeli jails for terrorist activity.
Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists started the war on Oct. 7, 2023, when they invaded southern Israel, murdered almost 1,200 people, and kidnapped 251 hostages.
Israel responded with its military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza.
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