By Paul Goldfinger, Editor and first Ocean Grove mohel. (Schedule an appointment. Be the first in OG history.).
Corporal Herbert Blum, a Jewish soldier, sent this Purim postcard (issued by the Jewish Welfare Board) home to his parents in Jersey City. Blum worked for the Army Air Forces as a cryptographic technician during WWII. He served in Europe with the 327th Signal Company, 8th Air Force in 1944 and 1945.
We need to go back in history to understand this holiday, because Purim is a one day celebration of a historic event. The story is told in the Bible, but the Book of Esther doesn’t mention God, and it is not a religious holiday. The events having to do with Purim occurred about 430 BC.
Around 600 BC the Jewish nation was about done after some remarkable years under Kings David and Solomon. The Babylonians invaded in 586 BC, destroyed the first Temple, and deported most of the Jews to Mesopotamia.. It was the beginning of the worldwide Jewish Diaspora.
Then along came the Persians (from modern day Iran under Cyrus the Great —-about 540 BC. ) Jews were allowed to return to the land of Israel, but others remained scattered widely including those in Persia.
After Cyrus died, the king of Persia was Ahashverosh. His queen was Esther who was Jewish but who hid her real identity. When the king’s advisor Haman persuaded the king to allow him to exterminate the Jews, Esther persuaded the king to reverse that edict. She risked her life to do that.
So Purim is celebrated for one day each spring, usually in March. There are feasts, parades, costume parties and special triangular cakes called hamantashen which are eaten even now, and there are recipes to be Googled.
Hamentashen. The fillings vary. Internet photo.
There is a Jewish bakery in Deal (Nahum Challa. 268 Norwood Avenue, about 10 minutes from the Grove ) which probably won’t have authentic ones still available. Other bakeries may still have it now. Try the Macaroon Shop in Avon-By-The-Bagel. Part of the diaspora has been doing well at the Jersey Shore for many years. (Ever hear of “Bagel Beach?” i.e. Bradley Beach)
There are echoes of this biblical story occurring now, and the good will between Jews and Persians will be renewed. My friend surgeon Dr. Hormoz Minoui died last year. He was an immigrant from Iran. He married Evelyn here, so he became a Roman Catholic. But he remained in touch with his friends from Iran, and he always insisted that his origin was Persia and not Iran. He would have been so happy to see the current events.
ELI LAUFER AND YECHIEL LICHTIGER with Purim music
Israeli archeologists recently dug up a pottery fragment with Aramaic writing going back about 3000 years. Translated , it said, “Google.” It was the world’s first search engine.
Norm: Nobody names their kids Esther any more. For that matter, there are no little Normans running around.
So Norm, why do we need an Esther now? Are you thinking about the modern day Persians?
Right now I’d like a real hamentashen, but on the west coast of Florida, I can’t even find a Mallomar.
See you in the Spring. Save a prune for me and a prune for another OG Norman.
More than hamentashen, Paul, we need an Esther !