Hadassah National President Rhoda Smolow reflects on the power of Esther and Vashti in The Jewish Week, just in time for Purim. What if instead of seeing Vashti and Esther in terms of contrasts, we view them both as women who shared an important trait? Don’t miss this timely op-ed in the Jewish Week, “Purim Is a Story of Women Stepping Out of Line.” It begins:
What are we to make of Queen Vashti, who lost her crown and position because she refused to parade naked in front of King Ahasuerus and his courtiers? While the Midrash represents her as vain and wicked, some modern commentators say her resistance to male domination makes her a better feminist model than her demure successor and heroine of the Purim holiday, Queen Esther.
