Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mr. Womack, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today.

I just know you're going to do brilliantly.

Today's lesson is from the unit: Jews: How does remembering maintain Jewish identity? This lesson is called: The Story of Esther and Haman.

By the end of today's lesson, we will be able to explain why the story of Esther is important for Jews.

Here are the keywords for today: Antisemitism: that means prejudice, discrimination, or hostility toward Jews.

Purim: that's a festival that commemorates the saving of the ancient Jewish community in Persia.

Identity: qualities and characteristics that make up an individual or group.

And finally, persecution: that's cruel treatment of a person or group by another person or group over a long period of time.

In our lesson today, we will look at what story is remembered at Purim and why do Jews retell the story of Esther today? The first part of the lesson, we'll look at what story is remembered at Purim.

Aisha and Lucas are thinking about identity.

Lucas says, "At school, I like to say funny things to make my friends laugh.

At home, I'm quieter because I'm the youngest and my brothers usually speak up first." Aisha says, "When I introduce myself, I say that I like sport.

Some people are surprised that this is an important part of my identity." So those are some ways people might describe themselves to others, but how do you describe yourself to others? Pause the video and have a think about that question.

Lucas might add a little bit to his introduction.

He says, "I have a powered wheelchair.

It is the first thing people notice about me, and it is part of my identity.

When people get to know me, they discover that there is a lot more to me than that." Well, here is Rafi.

Rafi has a Jewish worldview.

He attends an Orthodox synagogue with his family and is learning to read Hebrew.

Rafi says, "I wear my kippah at school, and most people are fine with that because they know my Jewish identity is important to me.

Some people say unkind things, though.

I try to be strong and stand up for my beliefs." It's really good that Rafi has a strong sense of identity and that he's proud of who he is.

But it's not good to say mean things to people, though, especially when it's linked to a person's identity and characteristics.

But I'm sure that you are always kind and support people in the way that they identify themselves.

Sherri also has a Jewish identity, but hers is a little bit different.

Sherri has a secular Jewish worldview.

She does not attend synagogue.

She says, "My Jewish identity is important to me, and I describe myself as Jewish.

I do not always feel comfortable telling people I'm Jewish, especially when I read about antisemitism in the newspapers.

So, it's time for a little check of your understanding.

See if you can answer this question: Which one of the answers below is the best definition of identity? Is it A: a person or group without a name? Is it B: the location of a person or group? Or is it C: the qualities and characteristics of a person or group? Pause the video and think which one of these might be the right answer.

The correct answer is C: the qualities and characteristics of a person or group.

Well done if you selected the right option.

There have been many times in history when it has been difficult to be Jewish.

Sometimes Jews have been persecuted for their beliefs.

This has meant that many Jewish people have moved from one country to another, looking for somewhere safe to live.

Even today, some Jewish people face prejudice and hostility.

This is called antisemitism.

The ancient story of Esther is about a time when Jews in Persia tried to hide their identity because of cruelty and persecution.

The story is told during the Jewish festival of Purim.

Mahsa really likes the Jewish story of Esther and Haman.

Mahsa says, "I love to hear the story of Queen Esther during the Jewish Festival of Purim.

The story took place a long time ago in Persia.

Nowadays, Persia is called Iran.

That is where my dad comes from." So, let's hear about the story of Esther and Haman.

The King of Persia ruled over a huge empire.

He had a grand palace, beautiful gardens and everything you could imagine, but he needed a new queen.

So he decided to hold a contest to find the most beautiful woman in the land.

There was a young Jewish woman named Esther, who lived with her cousin, Mordecai.

Esther was brave and very beautiful.

When the king's messengers came looking for women to join the contest, Esther was taken to the palace.

She impressed everyone with her grace and kindness, and the king chose her to be his queen.

But there was a secret.

Esther didn't tell anyone she was Jewish because Mordecai had said it would be safer to hide her Jewish identity for now.

Haman was one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.

He was the king's chief minister, and he was very proud and mean.

Haman wanted everyone to bow down to him.

But Mordecai refused because Jews only bow down to God.

Haman was furious.

He decided to get rid of Mordecai and all the Jewish people.

Haman made the king believe that the Jews were very dangerous.

He told the king that the Jews were refusing to obey the laws of the land.

The king was worried.

So he agreed to sign a decree to destroy all the Jews.

So let's stop there for a moment and check our understanding using a true or false question.

So true or false? Haman told the king he should get rid of the Jewish people.

Pause the video as you choose true or false, and while you do, consider why.

So the answer is true.

Haman told the king to get rid of the Jewish people.

You might have said: "Haman told the king that the Jewish people were dangerous and he should issue a decree to have them all killed." Anyway, let's get back to the story.

The decree was issued and the date of the killing was chosen at random by casting lots.

A simple throw of some dice decided a terrible fate of hundreds of Jews.

Haman had tricked the king with his dishonesty and cruelty.

The law could not be undone, and the Jewish people were in great danger.

Mordecai sent a message to Esther, "You must help our people.

Go to the king and ask him to save us." But Esther was so scared.

In those days, you couldn't just walk into the king's throne room, even if you were the queen.

If the king was not pleased with you, you could be punished and even put to death.

Mordecai gave Esther some wise advice.

He said, "Maybe you became queen for this very reason, to save your people." Esther knew she had to be brave.

She asked all the Jews to pray and fast for three days.

Then she put on her royal robes and went to see the king.

When the king saw Esther, he was pleased to receive her.

She was safe.

The king asked, "What do you want, Queen Esther? I'll give you anything, even half my kingdom." Esther revealed her secret.

"I am Jewish and someone is trying to destroy me and my people." The king was shocked.

"Who would do such a thing?", he demanded.

Esther pointed to Haman.

"This wicked man is our enemy." The king was so angry that he ordered Haman to be punished.

Haman's evil plan was stopped and the Jewish people were saved.

The king recognised that Esther and Mordecai had been brave and honest by saving the Jewish people.

The king made Mordecai his chief minister, instead of the evil Haman.

He made a new law to keep the Jewish people safe.

Esther is still remembered today as a brave queen who saved her people.

What an amazing story.

I really enjoyed that.

I'm sure you were paying close attention.

So let's check your understanding with a short knowledge check.

What happened to Mordecai at the end of the story? Was it A: he was punished by the king? Was it B: he became the king's chief minister instead of Haman? Or was it C: he put on a special banquet for the king? Pause the video while you think about which option you might choose.

The answer is B: he became the king's chief minister instead of Haman.

Well done if you selected that answer.

So, it's now time to do a task to deepen our learning.

Look at what each character on the slide has said.

Mordecai said, "I will not bow down before Haman, the chief minister." Esther said, "I need to be brave and tell the king that I am Jewish." And the king said, "I will save Esther and make Mordecai my chief minister." Using your knowledge of the story, explain why each character said these words.

You might want to write an explanation paragraph for each of the characters.

So pause the video so you can complete the task.

Well done for completing your task.

It might have been a bit tricky, but I'm sure you've used your knowledge of the story to complete it.

I wonder what you wrote.

You might have said: "Mordecai was Jewish.

He refused to bow down to Haman because Jews bowed only to God.

Esther knew that the king was planning to kill all the Jews.

She wanted to save her people.

The king realised that Haman had tricked him.

He saw that Mordecai and Esther were being honest and standing up for their people." So, we've finished the first part of our lesson.

Well done.

We will now learn about why Jews retell the story of Esther today.

The story of Esther's courage is told each year during Purim.

The festival of Purim takes place in the Jewish month of Adar.

This is usually in late February or March.

The festival commemorates the saving of the ancient Jewish community in Persia.

The festival is a lot of fun, but it also has a serious message about antisemitism and the persecution of Jewish people.

Here is Mahsa again.

Here, she explains why the story of Esther is still relevant.

She says, "The story of Queen Esther reminds me that antisemitism is not new.

Jewish people were persecuted and treated badly a long time ago, and it still happens today.

Esther showed great courage and spoke up for herself and her people." So let's take a moment to check our understanding with a definition question.

Can you tell me what antisemitism means? Choose one of the following options.

Antisemitism means A: hostility towards Jews.

B: having the courage to stand up for what you believe.

Or C: refusing to bow down to something other than God.

Now, pause the video where you think about what the correct answer might be.

The answer is A: hostility towards Jews.

Well done if you selected the right option.

Values are really important, aren't they? Schools often have a set of values.

Maybe your school does too.

Aisha and Lucas are talking about their values.

Lucas says, "Sometimes people get picked on at school if they're a bit different or they don't fit in with everyone else.

We can speak up if it happens to us." Aisha says, "We have playtime buddies to make sure that no one gets left out.

We try not to be bystanders and we take action if we see something that is not right." So what values do you stand up for in your school? Pause the video and have a think about this question.

Aisha says, "It can be hard to speak up when something or someone has upset you.

It takes courage.

You might need your friends to help you." Hopefully you have a good set of friends that will support you, and hopefully you are a good friend to others.

I'm sure you are.

So let's keep looking at what different people say about speaking up for ourselves and others.

Rafi is from an Orthodox Jewish family.

He finds deep meaning in the story of Esther.

He says, "When Jews retell the story of Queen Esther during Purim, we remind each other that we can speak out and stand up for ourselves.

We can change people's minds, just as Esther changed the king's mind.

The story helps me to stand up for myself at school." Mahsa has a Jewish worldview and has a Sephardi Jewish background.

Mahsa says, "When I hear the story of Queen Esther, I think about how hard it can be for young women like me to speak up.

The story gives me courage to talk about difficult things like antisemitism rather than keeping quiet." That's a really important reflection, isn't it? It's good to talk about things and speak out, instead of turning a blind eye to things when they're not right.

So here is a table with some information about antisemitic incidents in the UK.

It's published so people can see how much of a problem antisemitism is in Britain today.

Have a look at the chart.

What does the data on this chart show about the number of antisemitic incidents in Britain? Pause the video while you interpret the chart and work out what it shows.

I wonder what you worked out.

If you look closely, you can see that in some years there were more antisemitic incidents reported than others, but there was a clear spike in 2023.

This clearly shows that antisemitism is still a problem and that it is becoming even more of a problem.

Treating someone differently because of their religion breaks a person's human rights.

Hopefully, we will see the number keep reducing soon.

Here is Sherri.

Sherri is a secular Jew.

She doesn't believe in God.

However, she also finds meaning in the story of Esther.

She says, "I think Esther and Mordecai showed great strength of character.

when the Jewish people were persecuted.

They did not sit around waiting to be helped.

They made a plan and took action." Sherri continues: "Esther had to make a choice.

She chose to say that she was Jewish, even though that could have put her life in danger.

Maybe I should follow her example when I am tempted to hide my Jewish identity." Let's take a moment to check our understanding, shall we? Here is a true or false question.

Antisemitism is only a modern Jewish experience.

Do you think that that is true or false? And why? Pause the video and think about your answer.

The answer is false.

You might have said: "The story of Esther shows that antisemitism goes back at least 3,000 years." Now it's time for a task.

Explain why these statements are both true.

Aisha says, "The story of Esther is about identity.

It reminds young people to take action and stand up for their beliefs.

Lucas says, "The story of Esther is about antisemitism.

It reminds Jews how they overcame adversity in the past." So now you need to explain why both of these statements are true.

In your answer, make a link to the events in the story of Esther.

You might want to write an explanatory paragraph to complete this task.

So pause the video so you can complete your work.

Well done for completing that task.

Hopefully it made you really think hard about the story of Esther and why it's important today.

I wonder what you wrote.

You might have said: "Aisha is right that the story of Esther is about identity.

It gives an example of a young woman who showed courage by speaking out even though she could have chosen to hide her Jewish identity.

Lucas is right to say that the story of Esther is about antisemitism.

It is about a time in the past when Jews were persecuted just because they were Jewish.

Jews today might feel stronger when they hear the happy ending to the story." We have now reached the end of the lesson, so let's summarise what we have learned about the story of Esther and Haman.

We've learned that the Jewish festival of Purim remembers the story of Esther, queen of Persia who was secretly Jewish at a time when Jews were persecuted.

Haman, the king's chief minister hated Jews and plotted to have all the Jews killed.

Esther bravely told the king that she was Jewish and pleaded with him to save her people.

The story symbolises the survival of Jews in the face of adversity and antisemitism.

Interpretations of the story help us to understand Jewish identity today.

Well, what a great lesson.

Well done for all your hard work.

I look forward to learning with you again soon.

Bye for now.