JERUSALEM (JTA) — An organization working to bridge the gap between the religious and secular in Israel will hold Megillah readings in 60 locations throughout the country.
For many Israelis, the Tzohar program will be their introduction to the traditions behind the Purim holiday.
Participants will be provided with a special Megillat Esther that includes the traditional text as well as explanations of the Purim story and the origins of holiday practices such as giving charity and sending food baskets.
“Almost every Israeli associates Purim with dressing up and letting loose, and they all love the holiday,” said Nachman Rosenberg, Tzohar’s executive vice president. “Yet they are rarely able to associate that passion with the values behind the day, and we are hoping to help them connect with Purim as a day that is not just fun but a central part of Jewish values and tradition.
"Tzohar aims to find opportunities where Jewish Identity can become a source of national unity rather than separation. What better occasion than Purim, a fun holiday, that is celebrated in almost every Jewish home in Israel?”
The program is being sponsored in memory of Dr. Leon Kronitz, a founding member of the Canadian Zionist Federation and executive vice president of WZO.
