While Rabbi Yoshi takes a brief sabbatical, we are excited to bring you a special series of guest columnists sharing their insightful Shabbat messages offering new perspectives and reflections.
This week, our guest columnist is Alexsondra Shore Fixmer, Vice President of Stephen Wise Temple, member of the Executive Board, and Wise School alumna and parent. In her commentary, Alex reflects upon the Purim carnival and her earliest memories of Stephen Wise Temple, as well as a meaningful lesson from Queen Esther and our Purim story.
We hope you have enjoyed this unique opportunity to learn from a variety of thought leaders. Stay tuned for more inspiring messages to come!
Shabbat Shalom!
Every year, like many of you, I look forward to Stephen Wise Temple’s Purim carnival which, this year, is taking place on Sunday. The noise and laughter, the rides and games, the music and hamantaschen—these have remained a constant in my life and evoke so many memories of my very first visit to Stephen Wise Temple.
When I was two years old, my parents, Sussan and Michael Shore, brought me to my first Purim carnival. Back then, you could win goldfish and ride elephants in the same circle where so many of us now drop our kids off for school. The carnival left an impression on me, to say the least. When my parents told me the exciting news that I would be going to preschool at the place where I rode an elephant, I imagined elephant rides every day across campus and between classes—you can imagine my disappointment on the first day of school.
As our Purim carnival has grown and evolved, I’ve come to increasingly value this celebration well beyond the goldfish and elephants. With Ferris Wheels, go-karts, and bouncy castles, we bring to life the Purim story—in which Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai save the Jewish people of Persia from Haman (BOOOO!)—and we take a well-deserved moment to celebrate and take pride in our Jewish identity and thriving community.
Throughout the past 526 days, I’ve also found so much additional meaning in Esther’s story. With her Jewish community facing an imminent existential threat, Esther steps out of her comfortable circumstances in the palace, risks her life by revealing her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus, and takes a stand that ultimately saves her people. There are many heroines in Torah and in our tradition who continue to serve as role models for generations and generations of strong Jewish women—from our grandmothers and mothers to our sisters and daughters. But lately, it’s been Esther’s chutzpah, courage, and resolve that have provided me with so much inspiration. I truly hope that her story will inspire more people globally to unequivocally stand together against hate and the existential threats which face Jews in Israel, the United States, and around the world.
So, at this year’s Purim carnival, between the rides, prizes, and hamantaschen, I hope that in Esther’s honor, you will take a moment to soak in the joy of seeing our vibrant community coming together to breathe new life into our tradition. I also hope that when you bring a new generation of two-year-olds with you and they are at the height of their excitement, you will tell them that this is where they will one day go to preschool.
Just don’t wait to tell them that the Purim carnival comes only once a year!
Shabbat Shalom,
Alex