The pre-Yom Kippur atonement ritual of kaporos practiced by Ashkenazi Jews, in which a chicken is twirled over the head of the penitent, gave rise to one of the more biting Yiddish sayings. That saying which my late mother used to describe someone who is utterly clueless about a certain topic or situation is “that he understands as much as a chicken by kaporos.” That saying can be used to describe how much most non-Orthodox American Jews understands about Purim.

To most American Jews, Purim is the Jewish Halloween. It is a time for frivolity, masquerading and, all too often, drunkenness. The masquerading — which was not part of the original holiday — has made Purim popular among gays. LGBT Purim Bashes are now common in major cities and articles about Esther’s “coming out” are now easily found on the internet. Thus, part of the American Jewish community sees the holiday of Purim as an opportunity to mock the Jewish religion.

However, even many observant Orthodox Jews, mistake a secondary...

Israel Today Membership

Become a Member

• Read all member content

  Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel.

• Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel

  Connect with Israel, right from your home.

• Lift up the voice of truth and hope

  Support Jerusalem-based Zionist journalism.

Become a Member

Already a member? Login here.