This Purim, let’s take a moment to appreciate one of the great reputational rehabilitations in my Jewish lifetime: Queen Vashti. We know how the story goes: King Ahashuerus, partying with his friends ...

Call it the “Esther/Vashti Complex” — the perennial Purim impulse to define Esther and Vashti against each other as foils, opposites, rivals, or enemies. They were none of these. This false dichotomy ...

Two stories. Two different time periods. One states, “…every man should wield authority in his own home.” If other women feel empowered to assert themselves, “there will be no end of scorn and ...

(RNS) — It’s sad to see a carefully preserved Jewish historical tradition sacrificed on the altar of a contemporary ism. On Purim, observant Jewish men, to varying degrees, imbibe strong drink. And ...

Consider the book of Esther in the Bible’s Old Testament where the story of two women is expounded in the early chapters: Queen Vashti and Esther. Vashti was a queen married to King Xerxes, and as a ...

For children, the Book of Esther is a fairy tale — of kings, queens, beauty contests and the foiled plans of a dastardly villain. The story can be read as proto-feminist, with Esther saving her people ...

Purim, which commemorates the Jewish people’s deliverance from near destruction in ancient Persia, is celebrated from sundown Feb. 25 to sundown on the 26th. It’s a joyous holiday celebrated with ...

Queens Vashti and Esther are not polar opposites but opposite sides of the same coin, says a New York City writer and journalist. (JTA) — Purim is often filled with boisterous celebrations, drinking ...

With Purim just a grogger’s turn away on March 19, it’s time to reroll the scroll of Esther and take another look at the whole megillah. It’s a story with characters so lifelike, I should quote them.