Once we were killers in Shushan, and other points of view

Greenberg’s View

In his political cartoon, “Greenberg’s View” (March 14, and above), Steve Greenberg tried to contrast our people’s celebration of Purim as benign when compared to those Palestinians (not all) who chose to celebrate the murder of eight Jerusalem yeshiva students and the wounding of many others.

Unfortunately, the contrast is not quite as stark as he paints it. Greenberg is obviously entitled to his perspective.

However, a piece of political/social commentary, even if it is in graphic form, needs to have its facts right. Otherwise, it becomes not what it aspires to be but rather another venomous bit of ill-informed or purposefully misleading and/or inflammatory rhetoric that fans the flames of vengeance.

There is more to Purim than the frivolity and lightheartedness in which we engage on this holiday of mandated levels of joy. With apologies to my friends in Twelve-Step programs, we are commanded to be so drunk on Purim that the line between a blessing for Mordechai and a curse for Haman is blurred. That’s pretty drunk. That’s quite a celebration.

What often goes unnoticed by many is the violence and viciousness at the end of the Book of Esther. Since the signed proclamation of King Ahasuerus to allow Haman to massacre the Jews cannot be nullified, when Haman’s plot is revealed, permission is given to the Jews to arm themselves and preemptively strike against Haman and those whom they assume to be his supporters: And Mordechai wrote in King Ahasuerus’ name and sealed it with the king’s ring.

The king authorized the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, infants and women and to plunder their goods (my emphasis).

And in Shushan, the capital, the Jews slew and destroyed 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman. The Jews who were in Shushan gathered themselves together also on the 14th day of the month Adar and slew 300 men. The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces slew of their foes 75,000 (Esther 9)

This is what we are truly celebrating on Purim. This is why we send sweets to our friends and neighbors and give to the poor — to celebrate the deaths of over 75,000 of our enemies — with cookies!

War, violence and vengeance are never clean. Our children are not the enemies of the Palestinians, and Palestinian children (whether they die because of the moral depravity of those who use them as shields or, stripped of their humanity, when we deem them to be collateral damage) are not our enemies and can never be considered by us, by Jews, to be expendable or the price of the messiness of war.

Sadly, the world has not changed much since the days of Purim, and it matters not whether those days are historical or mythical. Human beings are still easily infected by the blood-thirst of vengeance and revenge, and we Jews are not immune.

The Messiah or the Messianic Age, for whom or for which we will express our yearning in a few weeks at Pesach, is pushed light years away every time anyone of any side uses violence to bring peace.

Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels
Beth Shir Sholom
Santa Monica

Survivor Mitzvah Project

It is a pleasure to write to you and thank you and your readers for their generous support of The Survivor Mitzvah Project (“Touched by Angels,” Nov. 23).

Jane Ulman’s extraordinary and moving article touched the hearts of your readership and motivated the Jewish community of Los Angeles to donate to this urgent humanitarian effort.

In just a few weeks, we were able to raise more than $70,000 with the help of your wonderful publication. Because of this generous outpouring, the lives of hundreds of elderly and forgotten Holocaust survivors were immediately and dramatically improved.

This aid brought them food, medications, heat, shelter and, most importantly, the knowledge that they are no longer alone; that American Jews thousands of miles away have not forgotten them.

Currently, we support elderly survivors in Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Slovakia. Since the article appeared in The Journal, we have identified more elderly survivors in Latvia and continue to broaden the scope of The Survivor Mitzvah Project with our expeditions to seek out the last remaining survivors scattered across Eastern Europe.

Endless thanks to you, The Jewish Journal, for helping bring The Survivor Mitzvah Project to the attention of your readers. It is our hope that with the continued support of people like your generous readers, all Holocaust survivors will be able to live out their final years with some measure of comfort and dignity.

Zane Buzby
Executive Director
The Survivor Mitzvah Project

Need More Humor

I have been reading The Jewish Journal for years and always feel dispirited after reading it.

I know there are problems in the world, but Jewish people are funny, and we need more humor and uplifting articles.

Martin Jaeger
via e-mail

Editor's Note: Please see our cover this week and our Purim stories inside. Is that funny enough?

Loan Program

We would like to clarify that the Jewish Free Loan Association (JFLA) provides interest-free loans, not The Jewish Federation (Letters, March 14). We are so pleased to have been able to assist Susan’s son in his desire to experience life in Israel.

The Becker Israel Experience Loan Fund of JFLA has been in existence for almost 13 years and has distributed hundreds of loans, totaling over $1 million. We also offer loans to adults for educational programs in Israel.

In addition to our Israel Experience Program, JFLA offers interest-free loans for emergencies, education, health care, developing small businesses and life-cycle events.