All of the fun and merriment of the holiday aside, the true obligations of Purim are not fulfilled if we do not help the needy. With all of the partying associated with the holiday, it is easy to focus on our wants and forget about others’ needs.
In Hebrew, two terms describe two different aspects of nationalism. Leumiut directly translates to “nationalism"; leumanut carries a jingoistic, chauvinistic, supremacist, and extremist brand of nationalism.
This MLK Day, we can honor the legacy of Dr. King and fight back against white supremacy and systemic racism by urging Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
I envisioned an investigator examining our homes and our lifestyles to determine whether enough about us would convince a jury that we were indeed Jews. What would they look for? Would they deem us Jewish?