Thread by @HenMazzig

#Purim Thread: Esther, or Hadassah, her Babylonian-Hebrew name, had a tough decision to make: enjoy the riches of the palace, or take action, jeopardizing everything she had.
American Jewry finds themselves in the same predicament as Esther.

At the beginning of the Purim story, Esther was just another Persian woman. When she arrived in the palace she was never treated as royalty, was always looked down upon, and had no real power. Esther did not have any power until the day that Ahasuerus decided to make her a queen

Esther could have just enjoyed this power and never look back at the Jewish people, but she didn’t. Instead, she was willing to give up her new status and riches for her people.
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place

but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” The American Jewish community has come a long way since the days of not being allowed into white-only country clubs.

While antisemitism exists in America, American Jews do enjoy a seat at the table in American public opinion discussions on all issues domestically and internationally. However, with modern day Hamans trying to pass creeds against all Jews, it is time for the Jewish community

to take action.
Some American Jews, that have reached the palace, enjoying the social circles of moral higher ground, do not wish to help their brother Mordechai, or Israel. Some of them, a minority indeed, such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, advocate against Mordechai

and in favor of Congressman “Hamans” modern-day creed against the Jews. These nay-sayers existed in Esther’s time as well. But these minority voices will not win; they must not. “Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will

escape any more than all the other Jews.” Hadassah comes back to the story of Purim, when Mordecai asks her “but what will happen if you perish?”. It is then that she is referred to as Hadassah as she says “if I perish, I will perish”. She is Hadassah again,

when saying these words, because at this moment Hadassah is no longer a Persian queen, but rather the Jewish Babylonian Hebrew queen that will stand up for her people, understanding that she is not really “sacrificing everything”, as she has nothing if her people are not alive.

No matter how high up she will get in the palace, she will always be a Jew.
This Purim, let us celebrate our Jewish queen, queen Hadassah.

Happy Purim fam ✡️