Purimfest 2020
Purimfest 2020

 “Me an Anti-femite? That’s preposterous! Some of my best friends are women!”  (The trombone man: tales of a misogynist.)

The Festival of Purim originally a minor festival, is nonetheless one of the most enjoyable with much merrymaking. Based on the story of Esther, about 2500 years ago, it describes the deliverance of Persia’s Jewish community from the genocidal plot by Haman, senior adviser to King Ahashueros (Xerxes ) The fascinating story describes intrigues, with concealment of true identity and nature as a central theme, Haman being a wolf in sheep’s clothing and Queen Esther the hidden Jewess in the palace being just two examples. 

In 15th Century Italy, Rabbi Mahari Mintz mentioned the wearing of costumes during Purim, while in 1718 Handel wrote his first oratorio Esther and Cristiano Lidarti his opera Esther in 1774 when Mozart was just eighteen.

The festival has evolved over the centuries to resemble the European carnival before Lent. The Purim Spiel is folk theatre, adapting to contemporary events where just about everything and everyone is fair game to be lampooned. It’s the festival where Jews laugh at themselves and make merry.

The Purim story however is also a metaphor to beware of Trojan horses and hypocrites. Like the pig that does not chew its cud but displays its split hooves so it will appear kosher (Midrash Bereishit Rabba on the Leviticus 11 where the need for both traits is elaborated), not everything is kosher and is really what it purports to be.

Despite post-Shoah mantras of “never again,” Europe and the USA have seen a serious upsurge of hatred of Jews. Leaders from fifty countries met in Jerusalem recently to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Some weeks following solemn speeches,

Aalst in Belgium again had no qualms about presenting a popular carnival which depicted harediJews in traditional garb with grotesque huge noses, and bodies of insects. The mayor of Aalst was “proud” of the carnival. In Spain, a carnival depicted SS soldiers, crematoria, mock canisters with Zyklon B gas,  and “Jews” in concentration camp uniforms with others showing mock gunshot wounds.

What happened to Holocaust education? Or ANY education for that matter? 

In Europe, political leaders have muttered (less so now) about Israel’s right to exist. These same leaders declare that France, Britain, Germany could not be without their Jews while watching anti-Jewish incidents climb dramatically each year.  In one way or another they keep reassuring Jews that their countries would be unthinkable without them.

Jewish leadership has been slow to react or reacted unconvincingly. Often as in Belgium, they remain silent unlike Esther, who despite knowing Vashti’s sad fate for defying the king, showed skill and courage when required.

Besides the political leaders who pay lip service to the increasing insecurity concerns of their Jewish citizens, some leaders have actually promoted hatred of Jews in various guises. Corbyn was not the first and won’t be the last. Jewish leaders have requested “more security” and “education.” These measures are not going to change attitudes. They have already failed.

Recently German teenagers sang Nazi songs on a bus following a visit to a concentration camp.
In 1924 Julius Streicher published an article entitled Das Purim Fest in the anti -Jewish magazine Der Stuermer. Twenty two years later he shouted  “Heil Hitler” and “Purim Fest 1946!” as the noose was placed around his neck after the Nuremberg Trials. A few years before that, Nazis hanged ten Jews on Purim in Zdunka Wola, Radom, Czestochova and other towns as per the story with Haman as his sons.

Eichmann, the architect of the Shoah, was not a particular hater of Jews when he grew up. Later his Nazi mentor Edler von Mildenstein, encouraged him to learn about Jewish history and society. Very possibly, his “Jewish education” would do many of today’s Jewish parents proud, were their children as knowledgeable.

Nor is today’s “education” by visiting a German concentration camp to be taken for granted as successful. Recently German teenagers sang Nazi songs on a bus following a visit to such a camp.

Education is not necessarily the complete answer to combatting Jew hatred.

Not everything therefore seems what it appears to be. Fake news underpinned by social media, political leaders boasting of their ”friendship” with Jews, academics who turn a blind eye to anti-Jewish campus activities, carnivals, sports events and assaults are part of a growing culture of hatred towards Jews that is exempt from politically correct norms and expectations as would occur with Blacks, gays and others.

Purim is a happy festival but it also has a dark message which is becoming uncomfortably more relevant. Concealment has its time and place. These times require the boldness of Esther’s decision to unmask and act.

Where is Jewish leadership? 

Ron Jontof-Hutter is the author of the novel ‘The trombone man: tales of a misogynist ‘and ‘The Kristallnacht Cantata: a voice of courage.’