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<\/p>\nSAN DIEGO (KGTV) \u2014 A San Diego-area rabbi says the ancient story of Purim mirrors what is happening in the Middle East today, as Jewish communities to celebrate the holiday from Monday evening through Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Rabbi Yeruchem Eilform, director of Chabad at La Costa, said the parallels between the 2,500-year-old story and the current conflict are striking.<\/p>\n
“If this doesn’t sound like the modern Purim story, uh, it can’t be scripted any better. This is it!” Eilform said.<\/p>\n
The story of Purim comes from the Book of Esther. It tells of a man named Haman, appointed prime minister of the Persian Empire \u2014 the world’s first true superpower in the 5th century BCE. <\/p>\n
It says Haman plotted to kill all Jewish people, but Queen Esther, alongside her cousin Mordechai, leader of the Jews, foiled the plan, leading to Haman’s execution instead.<\/p>\n
“They went from a place that their necks were on the guillotine, on the chopping block, um, to a place of great prominence and blessing. The enemies who sought to destroy them were themselves destroyed,” Eilform said.<\/p>\n
Eilform said the holiday is meant to be more than a history lesson.<\/p>\n
“When we commemorate a holiday, it’s not just to remind ourselves of something that happened a couple-thousand years ago, as compelling as the story may be. It’s meant to be for the here and now,” Eilform said.<\/p>\n
Purim, a celebration of the Jews’ salvation, is a joyous holiday, filled with music, a feast, and even costumes.<\/p>\n
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Chabad at La Costa (Purim 2019)<\/p>\n
Right now, though, it comes with mixed emotions. Eilform said he has many family members living in Israel and worries for their safety.<\/p>\n
“I’m checking my newsfeed every, you know, every few minutes through the night,” Eilform said.<\/p>\n
Still, he said he hopes the current conflict will end the same way the Purim story did \u2014 with resilience and peace.<\/p>\n
“The question is how to get to the peace. What’s not a question is that the Iranian regime was standing in the way of peace,” Eilform said.<\/p>\n
Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0and\u00a0Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n