Deja vu all over again?

By Ethel C. Fenig

The highly placed Persian government official, angry that not all bowed to his importance, appalled that others followed the non state designated religion and desperate to divert blame for the country's impending deterioration from himself, informs the all too willing ruler that the entire situation is the fault of the Jews.

"But what should be done with these people?" cries the ruler. "Kill them," decrees the adviser. "It will be done soon," the adviser reassures.

And this, in a brief contemporary language summary, is--no, not the situation with Ahmadinejad in Iran--the beginning of the Book/Scroll (Megillah in Hebrew) of Esther, read on the evening and the following morning of the Jewish holiday of Purim, retelling the events affecting the Jews 2500 years ago. This year Purim begins after sundown on Saturday, March 3 and continues until sundown the next day.

Haman, the government adviser, is angry that Mordechai, a simple Jew, refuses to bow down to him. Using that as an excuse he persuades the king, Achashverous that these disloyal people should be put to death. But unbeknown to both Haman and the king the beautiful queen, Esther, is not only Jewish but she is also Mordechai's cousin; as her guardian he encouraged her to marry the king. Mordechai tells Esther of her husband's acquiescence to Haman's evil plot. Bravely Esther dares to save her people with a daring but potentially dangerous to herself, plan. After many frightening twists and turns the plan succeeds, the Jews are saved and Haman and all his henchmen are the ones killed.

The whole complex story here is read with great joy both on Purim evening and Purim morning; noisemakers, horns and hoots drown out Haman's name. Afterwards Jews continue with a celebratory meal commemorating Esther's dinner for the king where she finally informs him of the plot against her people.

As for the outcome of the modern day hatred emanating from modern day Persia (Iran) and its ruler Ahmadinejad against the Jews and its supposed patrons, the US? As the cliche has it, time will tell.