Beauty Queens, assassination plots, genocide and marital arguments. Yup, the story of Esther. A single person in the right place at the right time can save a nation.

We chose this story because our UpLate fell on the start of the Jewish festival of Purim, which celebrates the salvation of the Jews from their enemy, Haman. We ate traditional Jewish Purim pasteries, and even followed the tradition of reading the complete story aloud (we sat in a circle and took turns).

There were fun things, like Esther's Nail Bar (a beauty experience). But there were also serious moments. We looked in a mirror and asked ourselves which character of the story we act like - we all relate to Haman more than we'd like to. Feasting vs. Fasting. A short, moving video gave us a look at how Purim was celebrated in the concentration camps. If God saved the Jews in Esther, why didn't he stop the Nazi genocide before it began?

Most of our printed resources are here, but the photo album gives you a closer look.

Photo album

Resources

Poster - a movie-style poster highlighting the story