Resource Category: Purim

Purim is a holiday about masks. We all wear masks every day, but the holiday of Purim encourages us to look past them and reveal our true selves to the world. We hope these Purim activities and resources, designed to help you connect with and nurture your truest self, will let you do that!

Esther Asked for Help; So Should You – The Power of Support Groups in Recovery

Written with Selah BK | Recovery journeys can be about a variety of conditions, including alcoholism and substance misuse. With the overabundance of messaging around addiction and drug use online and in popular culture, many struggling with addiction feel they can face it on their own, believing they already know what they need to do to overcome their struggles. This sense of independence can be healthy and lead to successful recovery for some, but for others, the lack of community and accountability can be a barrier to healing, leaving them feeling isolated or unsupported in their recovery process. That is where support groups come in.
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The Difference Between Haman and Mordechai is You: Resisting Peer Pressure and Underage Drinking on Purim

By Avraham Walkenfeld | Despite social expectations and pressure, Mordechai’s refusal to bow to someone diametrically opposed to his values demonstrated an unwavering commitment to his own. What makes this an especially powerful example is the explanation in the following verse of why he refused to bow to a wicked man like Haman: He was a Jew. To be a Jew is to live by your beliefs — Live by Them (Vayikra 18:5) — and there is no holiday where that message is needed more than Purim.
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How Do You Adar? A Jewish Guide to Joy

Throughout its 3,000-year history, Jewish tradition has put a lot of thought into this deeply human question, among others, and has provided a plethora of answers. Our tradition offers paths to joy, including connection with God, finding meaning, contentment, and community. But, ultimately, what makes you happy is you.
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Mental Health Mishloach Manot

By Max Hollander | We don’t only preserve community by taking care of our most unfortunate community members when they need us; we do so by also showing the people in our lives we care about them even when they don’t need us. We can’t just ensure the poorest among us don't fall through the cracks; we must also strive to ensure those closest to us don't drift away. This balance between matanot l'evyonim (gifts to the poor) and mishloach manot (gifts to our friends) is what nurtures community, and community is what nurtures us in the aftermath of intense challenges and trauma.
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V’NAHAFOCH HU: A Guide to Throwing an Inclusive Purim Party

In this resource, we seek to address how we can talk about Purim and Purim celebrations in an inclusive way that allows everyone to celebrate safely and doesn’t call anyone out for how they choose to celebrate? Included are an alternative reading of the Mitzvah of Intoxication on Purim, a guide to how to promote your event, and a guide to how to make your spaces safer for those experiencing alcohol and substance addiction.
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V’NAHAFOCH HU: Turn it Upside Down – An Alternative Reading to the Mitzvah of Intoxication on Purim

From Arielle Krule and the T’shuvah Center Team | There is an oft-used statement from the Talmud on Purim that “a person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until they do not know the difference between the curse of Haman and righteousness of Mordechai.” This statement has been used as the guiding principle for what Purim celebrations have comprised in the Jewish community, but that statement contains a deeper meaning, hidden right beneath the surface.
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What Connects Moses and Esther? Imposter Syndrome

Masks are a major part of the celebration of Purim — but also the way we operate in the world. Depending on the social setting, masks are the things we hide behind to conceal our true selves for fear of rejection. Often, the use of masks in public spaces is out of an insecurity that deep down, we aren’t who people think we are — otherwise known as imposter syndrome.
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Masks that Reveal, Masks that Conceal

We make much of masks at this holiday. Does your mask cover up the real “you,” or does it reveal who you secretly would like to be — or even who you really are? Purim provides a wonderful occasion to explore my self and my masks.
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