The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates Esther’s clever defeat of the evil Haman, saving the Jewish people. It’s celebrated by engaging in a great deal of drinking and silliness, which is not the way most people expect to deal with evil and oppression.
How have you used silly or surprising ways to fight wrongdoing?
Unfortunately, what is oft forgotten about Purim is that, according to the legend, not only Haman was defeated but 70,000 people were massacred in the aftermath. It´s not only about Esther. It´s about saving one people from a planned massacre – and about carrying on another one. I don´t think anyone should still celebrate this festival anymore.
Woodie Guthrie cheered my parent’s generation during the Great Depression. He encouraged them through good humoring and, yes, some silliness, to unite politically behind the New Deal and to support Unions and, more generally to become activists. The UU Pete Seeger played the same roll for my own generation. Senator Al Franken, Jon Stewart and Bill Moher are often pretty silly but they inspire me to move forward in a better mood than I would otherwise. Jay Mack