Purim Update
Shabbat in Israel — February 21, 2026
It is Shabbat in Israel today, and the streets that were busy with pre-Shabbat shopping yesterday carry a tension that has become all too familiar. Israelis were more anxious than usual this week — and understandably so.
Two days ago, President Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, giving the regime roughly ten to fifteen days to reach a nuclear deal — or face consequences he described as “unfortunate for them.” For a nation that lives within range of Iranian missiles and endures the constant threat of Iran’s proxies on multiple borders, those words land with particular weight.
And yet, in nine days, those same streets will fill with an entirely different kind of energy.
Purim is coming.
The festival commemorates one of the most dramatic reversals in Jewish history — a divinely orchestrated victory over a genocidal plot hatched in ancient Persia. Children will fill the streets in costumes, dancing and singing songs that mock Haman, the architect of a plan to annihilate the Jewish people. The Hebrew phrase Venahafoch Hu — meaning “everything flipped” — captures the miracle at the heart of the story. God used Esther, a young Jewish woman in an unlikely position of influence, to expose and ultimately destroy the very man who sought to destroy her people. Those who came to kill were killed themselves.
It is worth noting — pointedly — that ancient Persia is modern-day Iran. The echoes are impossible to ignore.
So once a year, Israel flips the narrative. They dress up. They celebrate. They remember that God has done it before — and they trust that He can do it again.
One hopes the festival will pass quietly this year. But if sirens begin wailing while the streets are filled with costumes and celebration, do not expect the festivities to stop. Israelis have learned to adapt. The parties will simply move indoors, the music will continue, and the joy will remain — defiant and unbroken.
That resilience is itself a kind of prophecy. And the irony of celebrating deliverance from ancient Persia while modern Persia rattles its sword is not lost on anyone paying attention.
Chag Purim Sameach — Happy Purim, Israel. We are watching. We are praying.