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For Kids: The Story of Purim

By Matt Hawkins

Originally published February 25, 2011. Republished February 7, 2013.

If you are familiar with the story of Purim, you know that it is hard to put it into a context that children can understand, but this video gives it a nice gloss.

Esther is a Jewish girl married to the Persian king. She thwarts the plan of Haman, the king's advisor, to have all the Jews expelled from the town. Instead, in the end, Haman is banished to the wilderness.

Even this video may be complicated for younger children to follow, yet it still makes the point that Purim is about the strength of the individual, solidarity of a community and a union that is able to overcome the evil of the wicked Haman.

This is an enduring lesson that is repeated often in Jewish history.

Thanks to Shalom Sesame for the video.

Hebrew for "lots," referring to the lots cast by Haman, the story's antagonist, to determine the date on which to kill the Jewish people. It's a spring holiday commemorating the Jewish people's triumph. The story is told through the biblical Book of Esther; the namesake heroine, a Jewish woman, marries the Persian king. Their interfaith relationship is central to the story.
Matt Hawkins

Matt Hawkins is a freelance photo journalist who raises his family in Franklin, MA. He is widely recognized for making the area's best latkes and challah.

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