Purim’s other woman: Vashti, the queen who kept her clothes on

Published on February 20, 2013

When it comes to the story of Purim, Queen Esther has received lots of attention. All the little girls want to play her in the Purim spiel. She’s brave, beautiful, loving and heroic: the quintessential female biblical role model.

The heroine

By Rob Eshman
Published on February 20, 2013

In a pile of as-yet-undigitized family photos, I found a gem. It’s from a Purim party, years ago, when my wife and I were newly married. She is dressed as a Chasidic rabbi — black suit, side curls, black hat, mustache and beard. Beside her is the rabbi’s wife — me — in a long proper dress and a blond wig.

Heroines with no heart

By Danielle Berrin
Published on April 4, 2012

A quiet hero

By David Suissa
Published on July 9, 2008

When Libby was not around, the young women of Shalva often had to be coaxed in order to reveal their insecurities or to talk about sensitive issues. But with Libby, it was the opposite.

Passing on a Legacy of Love

By Sandee Brawarsky
Published on November 4, 2004

Walk into Zabar's and it's easy to spot 76-year old Gittel "Gabby" Zuckerman. She's feisty and funny, and her shrinking height and failing health don't diminish her power. Nor do the memories of the family she lost in the Holocaust ever leave her.

Cancer Crusader Takes on Oil, School

By Rachel Brand
Published on June 26, 2003

Lori Moss waited three hours to meet her heroine, environmental activist Erin Brockovich, at a book signing last year, even though Moss was weak from her chemotherapy treatment.

The meeting turned out to be exactly what Moss had hoped -- Brockovich was intelligent and personable.

But Moss was surprised at how much interest Brockovich took in Moss' own story.