Why Tsedek Chicago cancelled Purim this year

JVL Introduction

Rabbi Brant Rosen writes to his congregations about why it is not possible to celebrate Purim this year while the USA and Israel are waging war on Iran.  He also suggests positive actions that can be done by progressive Jews.

Purim is usually celebrated with noise and parties and children dress up. The Festival of Purim commemorates the liberation of Jews from their murder planned by the King’s Vizier Haman in ancient Persia (modern day Iran).  The Jewish Queen Esther revealed the plot to the King and so Haman was killed and the Jewish people liberated.  Much to celebrate, a victory over oppression.  However, it is also worth marking that the edict from Haman could not be stopped and the Book of Esther goes on to say that “the Jews …gain victory over their enemies. Emboldened by a second decree from the king and from Mordecai, the king’s new vizier, the Jews assemble in all the provinces of the Persian Empire to kill their enemies. The ten sons of Haman are killed …, as well as 75,000 other people.”

It may be that the original celebration was for the killings; however, in modern times, most Jews are celebrating that the Jews were not annihilated, that there was a victory over an enemy of the Jewish people, rather than the killings themselves.  But Netanyahu does not limit his celebration to the liberation of the Jews and, for Rabbi Rosen, that  Netanyahu has used the story to justify Israel’s attempts to destroy Iran is another reason for cancelling the festivities.

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This article was originally published by Shalom Rav on Mon 2 Mar 2026. Read the original here.