Purim: A Celebration of Stories and Connection
- Date
- 5 March 2026
- Time
- 16:30 -19:30
- Location
- BG 3
- Room
- VOX-POP
The Queen’s Tale
Purim, the Jewish Festival of Lots, commemorates how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from destruction in 5th-century BCE Persia. It is a unique celebration within the tradition, centered around the courage of a woman as the story's heroine.
Today, Purim is a joyful festival of "reversals." Often compared to carnival, it is a time to play with hidden identities, loudly drown out the name of the story’s villain (Haman) with noisemakers, and share food and drink. By celebrating this on 5 March, De Joodse Stad and VOX-POP bring a piece of pre-war Amsterdam’s vibrant social life back to the city center.
Programme
Students and staff are warmly invited to join us for:
- 16.30 - 16.45 Welcome and introduction on Purim by Julia van der Krieke
- 16.45 - 17.30 "Non-dogmatic rabbi" Naftalie Hershler shares the story of Esther
- 17.30 - 19.30 Creative activities, drinks and snacks:
- Create your own mask
- Perform a Mitzvah (good deed) by collecting essential items and make a gift for De Regenbooggroep.
What can you donate? We are collecting water bottles, sunglasses, caps, warm men’s clothing (such as coats), shoes, sleeping bags, working phones or laptops, and bicycles or bike parts.
Practical matters
Admission is free. To help us prepare the catering, please register in advance.
Snacks are kosher style.
Naftalie Hershler is a social entrepreneur working at the intersection of education, technology, art, and human rights. As a curator, art historian, and self-appointed patron of the Amsterdamse Joffers, he specializes in female artists from the late 19th and first half of the 20th century.
He is the founder of Makom Chadash, a space for contemporary engagement with Jewish traditions rooted in openness, dialogue, and shared social responsibility. He believes in connecting diverse fields to foster dialogue and mutual understanding, with the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive and meaningful society.
Julia van der Krieke is a postdoctoral researcher in Jewish Studies at the University of Amsterdam and project leader of De Joodse stad, a collaboration between the University of Amsterdam, the Jewish Cultural Quarter, and the Municipality of Amsterdam. Through this public history project – including a podcast series in which she speaks with experts, residents, and Jewish Amsterdammers, as well as art projects, lectures, and publications – she brings the vanished Jewish neighbourhoods of Amsterdam back into view for all Amsterdammers.
