As Purim begins tonight, Jews around the world will read the Book of Esther and use a chorus of boos and noisemakers to drown out the name of Haman, the villain who sought to destroy all the Jews. Unfortunately, though the story is ancient, Haman’s spirit remains alive and well in today’s world:
It survives in Myanmar (Burma), where Rohingya Muslims are the target of gruesome ethnic cleansing, as their villages are burned and their community members murdered and tossed into mass graves.
It survives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where peaceful, pro-democracy protestors are being shot and killed in the streets
It survives in South Sudan, home to a horrific civil war that has left much of the nation on the brink of starvation and sent more than 2 million refugees fleeing into neighboring countries.
Now is the time, then, to follow in the brave footsteps of Esther, the Purim hero who risked everything to save her people. You, too, can act to save those who are being persecuted solely because of who they are or what they believe.
Remember that Purim represents more than just costumes and jelly-filled cookies; it is a call to social justice.
Here is what you can do to follow in Mordecai and Esther’s footsteps:
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- Sign up to join this year’s Walk to End Genocide on April 22 in Los Angeles and May 6 in Thousand Oaks.
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[su_button url=”http://walktoendgenocide.net” target=”blank” background=”#ba0c2f” color=”#fedd00″ size=”12″ center=”yes”]REGISTER[/su_button]
- Join Jewish World Watch by sending a letter to members of Congress about what’s happening to the Rohingya.
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[su_button url=”http://action.jww.org/app/write-a-letter?9&engagementId=414237″ target=”blank” background=”#ba0c2f” color=”#fedd00″ size=”12″ center=”yes”]TAKE ACTION[/su_button]
- Give to support programs that aid refugees displaced by conflict.
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[su_button url=”https://jww.org/donate/” target=”blank” background=”#ba0c2f” color=”#fedd00″ size=”12″ center=”yes”]DONATE NOW[/su_button]
Whatever you do, do not stand idly by!