Home is where Purim is

Today is the Jewish holiday of Purim, where we celebrate our deliverance from a decree of genocide given against the Jews of Persia (Iran) by the evil Haman, the viceroy of King Xerxes of Persia (known in Hebrew as Ahashverosh and in Persian as Hashayarsha Jamshid). This holiday has a special meaning for me because I am Persian, and my dad comes from Iran. My dad recalled the many times he visited the tombs of Mordechai and Esther, the heros of the story, who are buried in Hamedan and I always grew up knowing that I had a special connection to my heritage.

Purim is celebrated in many ways. First off, I like to call it a Jewish Masquerade. We dress up in costumes, joyously drink alcohol (the die hards follow the commandment to get so drunk you don't know the difference between good and evil), read the Book of Esther, sing songs, and pass out gifts and sweets, all in remembrance and celebration of our triumph over evil.

This year, I have been given the privaledge of speaking to so many wonderful people in order to share my story as a former IDF soldier and my personal triumph over evil. We've been traveling around the south and I knew that I would be away from home. Vida, our coordinator, assured me that we would be attending a Purim celebration and I couldn't wait for a new experience.

We set out right after Shabbat ended and made our way to the town of Watertown, Tennessee. It was in the middle of a pastoral setting, with a spacious landscape and homes scattered here and there. We finally arrived at our destination- the LAMB Fellowship. Let me tell you- these people were amazing.

Osama Bin Haman and I

A bright and cheery congregation greeted us warmly, dressed in costume (including Osama bin Haman!) graciously welcomed us as we together continued to elevate the sanctity of the day. The sanctuary was beautifully adorned with tapestries recalling the 12 tribes of Israel, all majestically woven by members of the community. The congregation prayed in Hebrew and helped me connect to the Godliness in each and every one of them.

I got up and spoke, and at the end of our stories, the congregation came together to bless us. 100 people gathered 'round close and I closed my eyes. Shepherd Scott led a beautiful prayer for our safety, wellbeing, and a host of other goodness that seems like a blur of light to me now. Someone had their hand on me, and I just stood there, absorbing the electricity and awesome power of the crowd. My whole body was tingling with the energy of his prayer, and for those moments, I felt that as a Jew, I was serving as a vessel of light and Godliness to the community. I was so moved that when he finished,  I had no words, just song and offering my praise. I grabbed the microphone and sang the following:

יהיו לרצון אמרי פי והגיון לבי לפניך, יי צורי וגואלי

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:15)

I  would like to offer my own personal prayer for the people of the LAMB community:

Dear G-d, as I travel the south, I have experienced so many people who have felt your presence in ways I never knew existed. My eyes have been opened to see those who have come to understand your truth, which is breaking through and touching the lives of so many. As the congregants of LAMB continue to come together to sanctify your holidays and offer their prayers in the language of our forefathers, please continue to inspire them, grant them mercy and compassion, and bring them bounty as they continue to serve as a beacon of light to their community. Amen.