An Ultra Orthodox Jewish women and her costumed children pass by a beggar on a street in Bnei Brak, outside Tel Aviv, 24 February 2013. Credit: EPA
Today Haaretz ran an article talking about the wide marketing of immodest women’s Purim costumes in Israel. I was sad and surprised to hear that women in Israel have just as hard of a time finding modest Purim costumes in Israel as we do here in America. In the United States, the few weeks before Purim is the time that mothers of older girls frantically scour costume websites that normally serve Halloween customers. We look up brick and mortar addresses of obscure local businesses catering to the theater crowds, party stores, year round costume rentals – all in the name of finding that elusive item of clothing – the tznius Purim costume.
Those with sewing skills smugly create their own fashions, knowing that they are among the lucky few not having to fight this particular battle. Although for these talented seamstresses, stitching home-made costumes piles on extra work in addition to the tasks of finding a creative Mishloach Manos theme and planning a Purim seuda worthy of King Achashverosh. Additionally, some of us have to contend with “Purim Inferiority Complex,” which is defined by checking out the quantity and extravagance levels of the Michloach Manos your neighbors got, and feeling like you either got shortchanged or you have no friends.
Back to the subject at hand which, on the surface is, slutty Purim costumes. In America, where we pinch our Purim costumes from Halloween party goers, it’s obvious that women in professions simply exist for the purpose of sexualizing those said professions during All Hallow’s Eve. Ever wanted to go into healthcare? What about being a Sexy Nurse? Have a passion for law enforcement? Being a Sexy Cop fits the bill! For those fans of the movie Captain Phillips, what about being a Sexy Pirate? Judging by the available costumes in America, Halloween is an excuse for normally conservative women to “spice it up for a day,” so to speak.
I would have thought that Israel would have a greater selection of tznius costumes for Purim – but if I think about it – like Simchas Torah, Purim is mainly a holiday for men. Past a certain age, you usually don’t see orthodox girls and women dressed in Purim costumes. I have seen ads in the past exhorting women NOT to drink alcohol, whereas men turn their minds into pretzels trying to decide exactly how much alchohol fufills the mitzvah before they poop their pants, and warning young men not to drink and drive or risk succumbing to alcohol poisoning. I’ve never seen such ads directed at seminary girls. While I haven’t seen signs explicitly requesting that women don’t dress in costumes, I can believe that this could be the general sentiment in some orthodox circles. Therefore, it makes sense that the women’s costumes available for Purim in Israel wouldn’t necessarily cater to a religious consumer – they aren’t buying them.
In fact, a 2011 ad in the Monsey local paper, Community Connections, asked women to be like Esther HaMalka, and make themselves scarce during the Purim holiday by not laughing, not being noticed or heard, and staying in the inner rooms:
In 2013, Community Connections struck again, by asking women not to feel bad that they were missing out on the fun of Purim, because by remaining unseen and unheard, they will reap eternal rewards. Women were even asked to minimize their presence in front of tzedaka collectors:
Even little girls wanting to dress up as Esther HaMalka, were Malka’ed from photos in orthodox publications advertising children’s Purim costumes:
Apparently Esther HaMalka epitomized the ultimate attributes desirable in all good women, she was neither seen nor heard. Quite frankly, I’m surprised that any self-respecting orthodox community would continue to have her mentioned in the Megillah at all. I’m beginning to suspect that the character of Esther might be erased out in a few years, when our society is more accepting of teiva marriage.
You see, I think that Esther HaMalka was really Mordechai’s alter ego. Mordechai HaMalka. Oh, grow up! This was Persia people! A land of decadence and extremes – anything went! That’s right, King Achashverosh was looking for a new queen, and it was more akin to RuPaul’s Drag Race than America’s Next Top Model! Well, wouldn’t this version of the story best represent orthodox ideals? The hero is really Mordechai (I’ve heard this said, anyway) and we don’t need those pesky women mucking up an otherwise nice piece of Jewish history. Why not cut out Esther all together, as we are trying to do to her descendents?
