Will be keeping it short this evening. Yesterday I managed to cut the tip of my index finger, right where I type with it. Apparently, right where I swim with it too. Uh.
This weekend was Purim, a nice little holiday in the Jewish calendar. Purim commemorates Esther, and the delivering of the Jews of ancient Persia from Haman. If you’re all that into it I invite you to read the Book of Esther. Interesting trivia about the Book of Esther. Jews read the Book of Esther in the Synagogue on Purim, but it’s not a part of the Jewish bible, it’s a separate magilla or scroll for us. Hence the phrase, “the whole magilla”. In the Christian bible the book of Esther has been included. The reason it’s not in the Jewish bible, when the scriptures were being complied this book was considered too “common” to be in the bible. There’s no mention of G-d for example. It has heros and villains, it’s traditional to have noise makers in the shul and for congregants to be especially rowdy and irreverent.
There’s also a tradition that you are supposed drink enough that you can’t tell the difference between a couple Hebrew letters. It’s an all around good time. And we certainly had a good time along with them. We Jews use this holiday to hold the annual “Church Carnival” only with a slight religious overtone. The Temple does a fantastic job with the Purim Carnival, lost of volunteers get involved and all the kids had a great time.
Saturday night we enjoyed a U P party. Yeah.. Upper Peninsula Party that is. Pasties, KBC Beer, Stormy Chromer hats, smoked whitefish, do we know how to party or what.
