Shalom! It’s a pleasure to be asked to share some words for this March newsletter – particularly because this month includes Purim (March 20-21).  One of the happier holidays, it’s got great things: dressing up, celebrating, delicious(ish) foods.  Of course, we shouldn’t strip Purim down to its pediatric elements, ignoring that Esther is a particularly difficult text.

A young woman forced to conceal her identity with disastrous consequences for any mis-step; A tale that asks the painfully about Jewish in the Diaspora under a regime that can turn on a dime in relating to its minority Jews; a gruesome account wherein victorious Jews use their newfound power for a campaign of “cleansing the opposition” – Esther is a complicated story.  And I haven’t even mentioned harem, eunuchs and bacchanalia!

I once heard Rabbi Donniel Hartman pose a seemingly simple question to rabbis from various streams: “Who is the villain of the Purim story?”  Simple questions rarely have simple answers. Anyone would be justified in naming Haman as the villain. The worse character, he claimed, was King Achashveirosh.  Why? Haman plotted the destruction of the Jews out of pure evil. But he could not carry this out without the consent of the King. Presented Haman’s account, Achashveirosh simply removed his signet ring and told Haman “The money and the people are yours; do with them as you see fit.”  Effectively, Achashveirosh cannot be troubled to inquire whether Haman’s report was correct; he simply wants to deal with a minor disturbance in the way that requires the least effort; then he and Haman sit down to eat and drink! The king, Hartman argued, personifies the worst kind of bystander, and earned the title of the true villain of the story.

Which is why I am proud to count myself as an ally of the LGBTQ+ Jewish community in our region.  There will always be hatemongers, people driven by whatever dark motives lead them to target this community through legislation, discrimination and sadly through violent acts.  The responsibility for defending the rights of this community cannot fall only on those within its ranks. Every ally is necessary. In fact, I would particularly say that for those of us in the Jewish community who have any degree of power and voice, to sit out any opportunity to express our solidarity and support, our unwavering commitment to full inclusion and equality in every way, is to follow the route of Achashveirosh the bystander; to help along the persistent evil that will never be fully blotted out.   I am honored to be counted as an ally of JPride Baltimore and this community.