Blog posts about the Rabbi Aviva Cohen Mysteries and their author Rabbi Ilene Schneider

Archive for March, 2025

E-BOOK OF TALKING DIRTY – IN YIDDISH?

And what, you ask, is the advantage of an ebook over the paper back?

You can search for the words or phrases you are looking for in the ebook!

Category:

THOUGHTS ON PURIM

A sneak peek at a scene in my not-yet-finished cozy mystery, KILLAH MEGILLAH, in which Rabbi Aviva Cohen prepares notes for a university class she’s been invited to present. I know it’s a bit of an info dump, but it’s still a work in progress, so I will try to fix it up during the editing stage.

“I stared at my still mostly blank monitor, the ‘Notes for Purim Talk’ header still
mocking me. I finally started to add a series of bullet points, beginning with the question of how many in attendance had read Megillat Esther and what they recalled of the story of Esther and Mordecai and Haman and Ahasuerus.

“I would then ask for a volunteer to recount the story, after which I would correct any misperceptions. For example, I’d ask how Vashti, the king’s disobedient and defiant queen and chief wife, had died, and to find the passage saying that she was beheaded or otherwise executed. It was a trick question. Vashti was banished, not killed. Vashti’s non-existent demise was a bubbe meiseh, a cautionary tale instructing nice Jewish wives to obey their husbands or else. Although, I would point out, in those days a member of the king’s harem
who was banished may as well have been sentenced to death, as she would become a non-person
with no privileges or allies.

“After my feminist screed, I would ask why a book that never
mentions the name of God would become part of the canon, which would lead into a description
of the popularity of the Babylonian deities Marduk and Ishtar and spring holidays celebrating
rebirth, and parallels with Easter.

“Okay, this should be fun. I love tiptoeing through theological mine fields while blowing up longheld fallacies.

“I added to my notes reminders to discuss Purim shpiels, satirical and irreverent skits; the
commandment to become so drunk as not to know the difference between ‘Blessed be Mordecai’ and ‘Cursed be Haman;’ the dispensation to be allowed to cross dress; and the irony of blotting out Haman’s name by reciting it.

“I figured I had enough to wing it, and closed down my laptop after sending the document to the printer. I hoisted myself off the couch and went out to Liz’s office to make sure the printer had worked. It had. She was looking over my notes and frowning. ‘Are you sure about all of this?’ she asked. ‘Do you think they’ll be ready to hear about how Mordecai pimped out his niece or cousin or whatever relationship Esther was to him? Or that the vindictive Jews rioted and despoiled their neighbors’ homes? Hanged Haman’s sons?
How unholy a book of the Holy Bible Esther is?’ She softened her criticism with a grin and a wink. ‘I wish I could be there.’”

Category:

WRITING