Purim
Other Purim Celebrations
PURIM
Celebrations
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
PURIM PLAYS
Esther O
Esther
A Traditional
Purim Story
PURIM
WARS
A Sci-Fi
Parody
The Wonderful
Kingdom of AZ
A Wizard of Oz
Parody
Esther-May &
the Shushan
Hillbillies
A Beverly
Hillbillies
Parody
Purim Celebrations
With Photos
Purim
In IRAQ
USAF Rabbi
Houston
TEXAS
Home-Group Meeting
Allentown
PENNSYLVANIA
Cedar Crest College
Additional
Purim Celebrations
Lancaster
CALIFORNIA
Reformed Jewish Assembly
Rancho Cucamonga
CALIFORNIA
Messianic Congregation
Davenport
IOWA
Home-Group Meeting
Kauai
HAWAII
Jewish Sunday School Class
Maui
HAWAII
Church
Brockton
MASSACHUSETTS
Jewish Temple
Hustisford
WISCONSIN
Lutheran Church
Purim in Houston, Texas
Dan & Jana celebrated Purim with family and friends in their home in Houston, Texas. No Purim Celebration would be complete without a Purim Sphiel/Play.
King Ahasuerus vanished Queen Vashti from the kingdom of Persia Media after she refused to appear before him and his princes. The decision was made to send for all the "beautiful" girls in the kingdom so that he could choose a "new" queen. His attendant went from house to house rounding up all the girls - even to the house of Mordechai the Jew. Mordechai had raised a young girl, his cousin, as his own daughter - her name was Esther.
King Ahasuerus choose Esther as his new queen. Esther was extremely beautiful, but she also had a secret - she was Jewish - and her new husband did not know it.
Haman, an Agagite, had risen in power to become King Ahasuerus' number one man in the kingdom of Persia Media. Each day when Haman passed through the gates of the city, everyone honored him by bowing before him - everyone, that is, except for the Jew, Mordechai. Mordechai refused to bow before anyone except the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Haman told Zeresh, his wife, of his annoyance with this haughty Jew. Eventually Haman went before King Ahasuerus and told him, "There is a group of people scattered among the peoples of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of our people and who do not obey the king's laws. These 'Jews' are vermin - the very cause of every woe that that comes upon us all. If it please the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them." King Ahasuerus gave Haman the signet ring from his finger and told him to do with these people as he pleased.
When Mordechai heard what Haman had plotted against the Jews, he went to Esther and encouraged her to go before the King and beg for the lives of her people. She reminded Mordechai that if she went before the king without him requesting her appearance, she faced death if he failed to extend his scepter to her. Mordechai told her, "Do you think that because you are in the king's house that you will escape? If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance from the Jews will come from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?" Esther told Mordechai that she would go and plead for her people, "...and if I perish, I perish!"
Esther went before the King ... and he extended his scepter to her, asking her request. 
She told King Ahasuerus, "if I have found favor with you, spare my life, and the life of my people." The King replied, "Who would dare lift a hand against you?" Esther answers him, "That evil man, Haman!"
When Haman realized that Esther was a Jew and what had happened, he fell before her, begging for his life. King Ahasuerus asked him, "Would you molest the Queen, even in my presence?"
Haman was taken from the palace and hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordechai.
Each year thereafter on Adar 14 and 15, the Jews celebrated their deliverance from the evil Haman at the hand of God. The Cast takes a bow!
(Below Left) Queen Vashti with Zeresh
(Below Right) The King's Royal Advisor - a real Wise Man
Truly an evening of FUN!
This is what Dan had to say about their evening...
"We had a great time with your play! Originally we were going to write one for the children to act out, but when we found yours, we just had to "force" the adults. You can tell just how much they loved it. I was the narrator and my wife was the costume director. We gave all types of noise makers to the kids and I had all of the music on a CD that we played over and over."
