The city of Efrat, in Gush Etzion (south of Jerusalem), spent this past Shabbat celebrating its own recent Purim miracle - with singing, prayers, dancing, and a mass Shabbat meal. The miracle occurred on Friday morning when a terrorist entered the crowded central supermarket and tried to detonate a bomb powerful enough to have destroyed most of the store. Miraculously, the bomb exploded only partially, and local residents who \"just happened\" to be there quickly and bravely shot him dead. Only one woman was lightly hurt.
The residents celebrated on Friday afternoon when over 150 of them gathered for a \"thanksgiving dance\" for the miracle. Signs were hung throughout the city, saying, \"Thank G-d!\", \"A great miracle happened here,\" and \"The city of Efrat was joyous and happy\" [a paraphrase of the joy of the Jews of Shushan as described in Esther 8:15). Yesterday, several hundred people gathered for the traditional third Sabbath meal in the town\'s main recreational area, Park HaAsor, and again celebrated the miracle that had befallen them. Words of thanks to G-d by Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and others, stories of \"Where were you when it happened?\" and singing were the order of the day.
The residents celebrated on Friday afternoon when over 150 of them gathered for a \"thanksgiving dance\" for the miracle. Signs were hung throughout the city, saying, \"Thank G-d!\", \"A great miracle happened here,\" and \"The city of Efrat was joyous and happy\" [a paraphrase of the joy of the Jews of Shushan as described in Esther 8:15). Yesterday, several hundred people gathered for the traditional third Sabbath meal in the town\'s main recreational area, Park HaAsor, and again celebrated the miracle that had befallen them. Words of thanks to G-d by Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and others, stories of \"Where were you when it happened?\" and singing were the order of the day.