I was wondering if there is a customary greeting or "blessing" that is appropriate for a non-Jew to offer a Jew on the day of Purim.

(Along the lines of "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hannukah," etc.)

Hmm, I don't know. The Purim carnival here was Sunday. We couldn't make it this year. What I wouldn't give for a good Hamantaschen! We're Christian (though I'm Jewish by background) but my daughter went to the Jewish preschool last year and we had a blast at Purim. Esther is so cool! (She was also a vegetarian.) And while I'm tying in all the Coffee Room topics, here's a recipe for Hamantaschen (try it with chocolate instead of prunes!):

Hamantaschen
a la Purim on the Net

INGREDIENTS
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1 stick of sweet butter, softened
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons ice water
1l/2 cups flour
jam, apricot or prune
butter to grease the cookie sheet
flour to roll the dough on

DIRECTIONS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Cream the butter and sugar together in the large bowl. Add the egg yolks and continue to mix well.
Add the ice water. Gradually stir in flour until a ball of dough is formed. Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
When ready to continue, take dough out of refrigerator


Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease the cookie sheet with the butter.
Divide the dough in half. Wrap the extra half in the plastic and put back in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface to a 1/4" thickness. Cut it into 2" circles ( use the top of a glass to "press out" the circles)
Place 1 teaspoon of the jam in the center of each circle and fold into three-cornered cookies:
start by pressing two sides together, then fold the third side over and press the ends together.
Place the Hamantaschen about an inch apart on the greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned along the edges
Makes about 12 Hamantaschen

[ February 26, 2002: Message edited by: Penny ]

I, also, love the Book of Esther.

Here's a description of the holiday, for anyone not familiar, as well as another recipe.

Fritz,

Thanks heaps for posting that URL. I'll have to admit - here I am, an alumna of Brandeis U., and I didn't even remember what Purim was all about! Mea culpa!

here's a recipe for Hamantaschen (try it with chocolate instead of prunes!)

Penny, you are my kind of cook.

oops, I meant to quote the chocolate comment from Penny's message.

Could someone please explain how to work the UBB Codes? Too much technology for me. :rolleyes:

Isn't Esther the only book in the Bible which doesn't mention God?

All the people in my company's R&D office, which is located in Herzeleia, Israel, are celebrating Purim today. It sounds kinda fun, like a Halloween party.

DT,

Yes, but He's an obvious presence. All throughout the OT, God used the unexpected to do BIG things: small men, doubtful men, a female prostitute, an unsure Jewish girl in the middle of Persia! And on and on ...

penny

I agree, Penny, and I also think that Esther was pretty neat. (I was just sharing some Bible trivia.) TLOML, however, is not an Esther but a Martha who is striving daily to be more like a Mary.

[ February 28, 2002: Message edited by: DT ]