Haman’s propaganda style was just like that of the infamous Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer, as the rabbinic interpretation “Midrash Rabbah” tells us: they exploit the state treasury, eat and drink and harm the economy. The Eternal Jew, who is dispersed among the nations, is trying to take economic control of the world. (“They are trying to depreciate the world”). These are exploiters, those who are not productive and do not enter the labor market like everyone else: “Once a week on Saturday, once every 30 days, Passover, Sukkot, fasts.”
The oppressor further blackened the image of the Jews and claimed: they are treacherous, not loyal. They live among us, citizens of our countries, but despise everyone. If at least they would also keep the national holidays of the state alongside their religious holidays, or, in the language of the Midrash, “keep their feasts and festivals, they would do well, but do not despise your feasts and the king’s traditions, neither Kalands nor Sternlia” (ancient Persian holidays). If at least they were ordinary citizens we could still live with them. However, they do not observe the king’s festivals. They are criminals, just pretending to be law enforcers.
Thus, Haman pumped into the king’s mind and clarified: If the king just does not interfere and allow me to change the law, if the king agrees to enact the “Nuremberg Laws” and sign them with the king’s signet ring, it will be the first step of the final solution: “Destroy and kill all Jews, from boys to old men, children and women, loot and despise them.”
The circle later closed: Julius Streicher, editor and owner of the Der Stürmer, was sentenced to death in the Nuremberg trials just like the “10 sons of Haman.” According to Newsweek, at the time of his execution, in Hoshana Rabba 5767 (October 16, 1946), Streicher cried: “Happy Purim 1946.”
For the Jewish people, Purim is the day of the salvation of the Jews of Persia. The Jewish nation marks the miracle of its salvation not only in feasting and rejoicing, but in standing up to the face of evil and wickedness to make the world a better place. A Jew does not care only about himself, but also provides assistance to others, and the ritual of helping the needy, sending gifts to each other symbolize his desire to change the world.
PHILANTHROPIST DR. German Gabriel Zakharyayev, in accordance with his unique vision of improving our world, established the Day of Salvation and Liberation from the Nazis, which is officially recognized by the Knesset and celebrated annually in dozens of parliaments and Jewish communities worldwide. On this day of remembrance, Jews do not put ashes on their head in the memory of the desolation, but they spread the light of Judaism and miraculously raise the heroes of the nations of the world, who exterminated the Nazi beast and saved the Jewish people. When it comes to spreading the light, one nation united with all the nations, worked together to dispel the darkness and illuminated the world.
The “constructive memory” contains many similarities between Purim Day – the day of the salvation of the Jews of Persia, and the “Day of Salvation and Liberation” introduced by Dr. German Zakharyayev. We celebrate Purim with costumes and masks, and we hope that soon we will also celebrate the liberation of the whole world from the terrible virus, and return to routine life without surgical masks.
Until then, we will continue to stand with a struggling world, praying to God to end the epidemic, and reach out to those whose life was broken when the world stopped.
We, the rabbis of Europe, will continue to act in this spirit, to reach out to the suffering widows and orphans of the virus, multiply in gifts to the poor, and we will prove to the whole world that there is one nation, united in his concern for others and united in his grace. In this way, we will make the world better and more beautiful, as on the days of Purim, as on the day of salvation and liberation. Together we will fix the world and improve it; we will be a light to the other nations. Then even today, “these days are to be remembered and done.”
The writer is the rabbinical director of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) and Rosh Yeshiva Torat Chaim in Moscow Russia.