LIVING ROOM Purim!How Queen Esther Reversed History

Wednesday, February 24, 2009

6 pm Doors, 7 pm Program

Intersections, 274 5th Ave
Btwn 29th and 30th Sts

With Rabbi Justus Baird

Come celebrate Purim with a traditional reading of the Book of Esther, the only book in the Bible that does not mention G-d, where a beautiful Jewish woman becomes Queen of Persia and saves her people from the plot of the wicked Haman to massacre all Jews in the empire.  This megillah, scroll or book, is read with wild cheering and booing from all in attendance. We will also hear portions chanted in the traditional Hebrew.  

This carnival-like celebration will include hamantaschen cookies, songs and blessings.  We will prepare a matanot l'evyonim, a package for the poor, a commandment for this holiday. Please bring hamantaschen to share and/or UNCUT fresh fruit for the fruit basket we will present to a local Kosher soup kitchen.  

Rabbi Justus N. Baird has served as the Director of the Center for Multifaith Education at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City since 2007.  He oversees the seminary's multifaith programming which strives to prepare religious leaders for a religiously diverse world.  In addition to his work at Auburn, he founded an alternative Hebrew school program in NJ called Yerusha.

He has taught, preached in, and consulted with seminaries, churches, synagogues, mosques, and interfaith organizations.  He teaches the Multifaith Seminar in the Multifaith Doctor of Ministry Program (a partnership between Auburn and New York Theological Seminary).  Raised in Texas, Rabbi Baird lives in Princeton, NJ, with his wife Rabbi Julie Roth (Director of the Center for Jewish Life at Princeton University) and their two sons.

Image: "Queen Esther Revealing Her True Identity" by Lilian Broca

RSVPs welcome, but not required on Facebook or Meetup

Comments

[Rafael Candelaria]

Any uncut fruit or are you keeping a list?

[Samir Selmanovic]

Ralf Meister,

Any uncut that is not too perishable. That goes to local soup kitchen.

[zhaohui]

wadonxrum981
There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it