Purim News

The Jewish holiday of Purim arises from a story of Jews in ancient Persia, as told in the biblical Book of Esther.

The Ortiz family of Ariel in Samaria on Sunday urged law-enforcement authorities to "make an example" of Ya'acov Teitel, the Jewish extremist arrested on Sunday for allegedly sending the messianic Jewish family a booby-trapped package in March 2008 that left their son Ami critically wounded.

After the news broke in Israel that a West Bank settler was charged with murdering two Palestinians in 1997 and bombing the home of a prominent Israeli professor last year, many Israelis were asking why it took police so long.

"My blood ran cold" Leah Ortiz said when she heard of the arrest of Yaakov Teitel, a right-wing Jewish extremist who was arrested for a series of hate crimes.

New York City Opera will revive Hugo Weisgall's "Esther" on November 7 in the recently renovated David H. Koch Theater .

Joseph Samuels, born Yosef Sasson in Baghdad, was 18 when he fled Iraq for the new state of Israel.

The passing of tradition from generation to generation - l'dor v'dor - is one of Judaism's core values.

The Bible has five special books known as the megillot , or scrolls. Esther is read at Purim, the Song of Songs at Pesach, Ruth on Shavuot, and Lamentations on Tisha B'Av. The fifth scroll, the Book of Ecclesiastes - Kohelet - is read during Sukkot.

With her grandparents seated on the front row, Katherine Bernstein led the assisted-living congregation in blessing the bread and grape juice symbolizing wine while another teen played the piano and a half-dozen other young people chanted Hebrew prayers for the Jewish sabbath service known as Shabbat.

Throughout the year, the Jewish calendar is filled with holidays commemorating key historic spiritual and physical milestones in Jewish history.

More on 'Schlub to Monster' [ Jay Nordlinger ] I found the below e-mail from a reader kind of touching, and kind of disturbing as well - bothersomely realistic.

Jewish holidays are not just commemorations; they are celebrations that attempt to recreate the actual events of our history.

An exhibition has opened at Prague Castle to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Yehuda Loew, one of the greatest Jewish scholars and philosophers.

An exhibition has opened at Prague Castle to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Yehuda Loew, one of the greatest Jewish scholars and philosophers.

Choose life. That essential Jewish tenet has led countless couples to the chuppah, where they commit to build a life together: first, a home, as symbolized by the wedding canopy, and then, a family.

On the evening of the festive Jewish holiday of Purim, the rabbi's wife, Sheila Slomianski, was ever the alert hostess.

As a proud MYP student, I find value in the traditional Beit Medrash culture. During my two-year tenure at YU, I have spent one year each learning in both the main beis medrash and the annex.

On the evening of the festive Jewish holiday of Purim, the rabbi's wife, Sheila Slomianski, was ever the alert hostess.

Shmuel Rosner asks me via e-mail why I left out Haman from the list of Amalek's successors in my Times op-ed today .

Hamantaschen, the small triangular pastries that holds a sweet filling of honey, poppy seed, prune, or apricot, are one of the traditions of the festive Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins tomorrow night.