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!

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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Rejoicing When You Can’t Rejoice

By Rabbi Sandra Cohen | How do you rejoice when you can’t rejoice? By accepting your experience and being gentle with yourself. You can use the joy around you to help you be kind to yourself. Allow for the possibility that you may eventually feel better, just not today. And that, my friends, will let joy in. Forgive yourself. After all you, have done nothing wrong.
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7 Self-Care Routines for Purim

On Purim, one is instructed to wear costumes to mask their identity from others –– like Esther hiding her religious identity from King Ahasverus. Balancing different parts of ourselves for different circumstances, however, is a fact of life - but it can be exhausting. That is why it is necessary that we take the time to perform self-care when we have the chance, so why not try some fun, holiday themed self-care routines!
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Building Palace Walls

We all know communities include both bullies and allies. In the story of Purim, those roles are somewhat obvious: Haman is a bully, and Mordechai is an ally. Life isn’t always that simple, however, and it is our responsibility to recognize that, examine the relationships in our lives and learn to set boundaries between ourselves and the “hamans” around us, just like the characters of the Megillah.
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Beyond the Palace Walls: Reflections on Mental Health for Purim

By Lisa Ziv | Let us shift our mindset to develop a more supportive community for those fighting their internal battles with Haman. Let us work to understand invisible illnesses and pathways to recovery. Let us be aware of the signs and the things to look for in ourselves and others, so we can get or provide support. And, let us change our thoughts and behaviors so taking responsibility for our mental health is equally important to taking care of our heart, our vision or any other physical health issue. Most of all, we need to understand that mental health challenges can happen to anyone in any family at any time.
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