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Purim began on Monday night in most of the Jewish world and is observed a day later in ancient walled cities,including Jerusalem.
By Shula Rosen
Israelis marked the Purim holiday in underground shelters and parking garages on Monday after Israeli and US strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory missile fire that has killed 11 people in Israel since Saturday.
Instead of the usual street parades and late-night parties, families gathered in fortified spaces to hear the Book of Esther read aloud, following security warnings and repeated sirens that have sent residents rushing for cover multiple times a day.
In Tel Aviv, men, women and children in costumes filled a mall’s underground parking structure that doubles as a bomb shelter, The Times of Israel reported.
Some families have been sleeping there for days, setting up tents and air mattresses while continuing holiday traditions as best they can.
Children in themed outfits played beside folding chairs as readers recited the biblical account of a plot to destroy the Jewish people in ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran.
The Purim story, set roughly 2,500 years ago in Shushan under Persian rule, recounts how a plan by a royal adviser to annihilate the Jews was thwarted by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai.
Several attendees said the current conflict with Iran gave the ancient narrative renewed resonance, describing the situation as feeling like a contemporary version of the same struggle, though with different actors.
Similar scenes unfolded in Ramat Gan, where revelers gathered in an underground metro station used as a shelter, and in other cities where large public celebrations were scaled back or canceled.
Purim began Monday night in most of the Jewish world and is observed a day later in ancient walled cities including Jerusalem.
Major festivities had been planned after a two-year hiatus following the October 7, 2023, attack and the ensuing war, but those events were curtailed after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran on Saturday.
Despite the disruptions, families said they were determined to let children celebrate, choosing secure routes with easy access to shelters and adapting traditions to the circumstances.
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