Purim. Esther. International Women’s Day.

This week, Jewish communities around the world mark Purim — remembering a story of survival.

Esther is a Jewish woman.

The danger she faces is anti-Jewish violence.

The joy remembered is Jewish endurance.

As a Christian, I read this story because my faith is rooted in Israel’s story — not because it replaced it.

That distinction matters.

Esther does not seek attention. She seeks protection for her people.

She fasts.

She waits.

She chooses her moment.

“If I perish, I perish.”

It is courage shaped by responsibility.

In a moment when antisemitism is rising again in many places, Purim is not ancient folklore. It is a reminder that survival has often depended on discernment, solidarity, and moral clarity.

International Women’s Day asks us to recognize the women who carry communities through uncertainty.

Esther stands among them.

May we honour that story carefully.

May we resist hatred clearly.

May we choose humanity before certainty.