Celebrating "Esthers with Attitude" this Purim

Purim is just around the corner and it's deliciously serendipitous that the Jewish holiday with the most well-known heroine happens to fall during Women's History Month. During Purim, we celebrate the story of Queen Esther, a Jewish woman who put her life on the line to speak out on behalf of her people.

We love the latest G-dCast rendition of the story:

 

Of all the Jewish holidays, Purim is the most fun. You get to dress up in costumes, eat hamantashen, and make a lot of noise. (You also get to drink a lot, as I learned during my four years at Brandeis University.) It's really satisfying to know that a strong and courageous Jewish woman's story is at the CENTER - not the periphery - of such a joyous day.

We're celebrating Purim "Jewish Women's Archive-style," which means that in addition to baking hamantashen in the office kitchen, we are sharing the stories of other "Esthers with Attitude," historical and contemporary, who carry on Queen Esther's legacy. Visit jwa.org to learn about Jewish heroines like Esther Brandeau, the first Jew to sneak into French Canada disguised as a boy, or Esther Rome, one of the original authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves, and nine others. If you know an Esther (or Estee) who inspires you, tell us about her in the comments!

Join us in celebrating Queen Esther and other "Esthers with Attitude." Come on, raise your glass!

 

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How to cite this page

Berkenwald, Leah. "Celebrating "Esthers with Attitude" this Purim." 10 March 2011. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on August 12, 2026) <https://jwa.org/blog/celebrating-esthers-with-attitude-this-purim>.