DISGUISES

     Today is a day of disguise. Thousands of people who are not Irish will 'wear the green' - as if they were. In addition, today is also the Jewish holiday of Purim, so aptly fitting in with the times today.

Purim is a day of joyousness, a day when gifts are exchanged, when charity is both received and dispensed, and when everyone dresses up in costumes, some of which definitely are cutting edge imagined getups. That includes the adults as well as the children, for all participate in it.

Purim is the day that was supposed to be the end of Jews in Persia under the King Xerxes. His main adviser, Haman, hated the Jews, his generation's prescient Hitler, yet another one trying to destroy us - and failing. Only through the courage of Queen Esther were the Jews of the kingdom given permission to fight back. Yes, fight back, for otherwise to resist their inevitable death was a deep criminal offense - against the King!

So, we fought. And fought. And the little guys beat the big bad dudes and thus we celebrate. We celebrate our survival. We celebrate the brave act of Esther. We celebrate the aid of the Lord Above who guided our arms in combat. And we rejoiced in our survival, foiling yet another mad scheme to exterminate us. Many more to follow!

Back to the Irish. Hundreds of years later the Irish remain separated in two republics, one dominant Catholic and the other Protestant. The anger, the hatred continues even though there was a peace agreement. The urge within many to unite - reunite- the two parts runs deep within Irish hearts and souls. I really do not know enough to come down on one side or the other. What I do know is that we can all understand the need within to be one with our brothers and sisters. To live in independent countries. To be free.

And here comes Ukraine, the tiny country against the mammoth Russian forces. Impelled by deep feelings, to remain independent, not another puppet of Putin. The desire to defend their country, a vibrant democracy, thriving, modern, and at peace - or that is until Russia comes along and swallows up yet another piece of their pie.

Surprise!! At great cost the Ukrainians have brought the juggernaut of the invading army to a halt. Volunteers and militia beat off a Russian battalion, forcing their retreat. The Russians have turned to massive criminal acts in deliberately targeting civilian targets. The death toll is huge, and definitely will climb. The Ukrainians forge on, burying, mourning their dead, but saving their energies so as to help others in the same or worse situations, try to live on, flee the country for safety - and even come back to fight. The only other country I know that had its citizens do that was Israel, when during the 1967 War and the Yom Kippur War, thousands of Israelis abroad filed into ElAl lanes to return home.

The urge to defend one's home, to be independent and safe in one's own bed is deep. It runs strong in the human hearts and souls. It is a need, an itch, that needs attention and scratching if we are to achieve and be our best. Hence - the pleasant merging of Paddy's Day and the Jewish holiday of Purim. Each requires a certain mode of dress, but nothing can hide that vein of courage, of bravery, despite all hardships forced upon the people. The people will survive, live to fight that day and the next and the next to infinity.

It is incumbent upon us, the onlookers to not remain only 'looky-loos', but to insist that our governments stand where they need to stand. If we keep our boots off that ground, then we must make up for that with all that these brave people need to survive. If we Jews can overlook the horrendous history of the past between Ukrainians and Jews, then certainly the rest of the world can see them now as fighters for independence, as proxy saviors of democracy in its fight against autocracy. Today it is Ukraine and tomorrow?

Not if we stand together. Not if we gather our courage to 'the sticking point'. Not if we know that beneath the fun dress and costumes, there are deep impulses, deep needs that must be addressed and met.

So Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Purim.