Feasts and Fakeries: Megillat Esther Through Images: A Gallery

#hebrewcollege #megillatesther #megillah #purim #sther #hidden #clothing #women #makeup #photography

For the past six weeks I have had the opportunity to study Megillat Esther with a group of women. Each week the participants would study one chapter of the Megilah. They would read the chapter closely and assemble a list of themes and questions. From these questions and themes they would then either go out and take photos that alligned with their themes, or more frequently, would go through images they already had and choose images that work with their theme.

Some of the themes that we explored during the six weeks leading to Purim included:

The absence of God in Megillat Esther, so the theme "HIDDEN."

Women's roles in the Megillah, including Esther, Vashti and Zeresh.

Food and Feasting

The Role Clothing Plays in Our Lives

Drinking and Celebrating

Suspicion

Dreams and Dreaming

Anti-Semitism

The Megillah as a story of the Diaspora

The results were very special. This group of women shared images, their own learning about the Megillah and their own lives through images. Each session was packed with images and conversation and an atmosphere of talking and really listening to one another.

The photos below are only some of the many images we discussed for these past weeks.

To participate in this class, one need not be a photographer, only a person who is willing to look at texts through meaningful images. Here are five images from each of our participants.

Melvin by Marsha Martin- on the topic of "How the small can

become the mighty."

Marsha Martin- Life is difficult and challenging, but there is hope. (The Fisherman's Memorial in Gloucester, MA)

"Hidden" by Marsha Martin

"Mordechai" by Marsha Martin

Photo by Marsha Martin on the theme of "Diaspora."

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Randi Stein for the theme of "suspicion."

Image by Randi Stein for the theme of "Dreaming."

Image by Randi Stein for the theme of "Anti-Semitism."

Image based on a collage by Randi Stein on the theme of silence. Aleph is for Esther.

Image by Randi Stein on the theme of " Clothing."

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Image by Judith Loischild on the theme of "Hidden."

Image by Judith Loischild on the theme of "clothing." (Sabbath Clothes)

Image by Judith Loischild on the theme of "Makeup."

Image by Judith Loischild on the theme of "Hidden."

Image by Judith Loischild on the theme of "Hidden."

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Image by Jayne Greenberg Miller on the theme of "Clothing."

Image by Jayne Greenberg Miller on the theme of "Hidden."

Image by Jayne Greenberg Miller on the theme of "clothing."

"Jeans"

Image by Jayne Greenberg Miller on the theme of "Hidden."

Image by Jayne Greenberg Miller on the theme of "Purim."

Teaching Purim to Two Year Olds"

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Photo by Sheryl Ishai on the theme of "the unexpected on Purim."

Mordechai on the Horse

Photo by Sheryl Ishai on the theme of "The Role of Cosmetics in the Purim Story."

Cosmetics

Photo by Sheryl Ishai on the theme of "Esther."

Which Side of the Wall?

Photo by Sheryl Ishai on the the theme of"The Beauty Pageant"

Photo by Sheryl Ishai on the theme of "Hidden."

Painting by Sheryl Ishai

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Collage by Ellen Krueger on the theme of "Diaspora."

Photograph by Ellen Krueger on the theme of "Hidden"

Photo by Ellen Krueger on the theme of "Diaspora"

Photo from Ellen Krueger on the theme of "Esther."

Lauren

Photo from Ellen Krueger on the theme of "The Riches of the Kingdom"

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Photo by Barbara Gold Marks on the theme of "Hidden."

Photo by Barbara Gold Marks on the theme of "Feasts."

Photo by Barbara Gold Marks on the theme of "Vashti"

Photo from the internet, presented by Barbara Gold Marks on the theme of "Diaspora."

Photo by Barbara Gold Marks on the theme of "Hidden."

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And a few more:

All is Well, Ends Well.

Image by Marsha Martin

A Day of Festivities: Barbara Gold Marks