This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard and InterFaith Works of CNY.
Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone Purim is a Jewish celebration of optimism
. Purim is sometimes seen as primarily a drinking festival. There is a custom to drink to the point where one does not know the difference between "Blessed is Mordechai" and "Cursed is Haman", which, given how different they are, might be quite a lot of drinking. People sometimes exploit this idea to drink to excess, but in doing so, they miss the point. For me, the point is that each human being is not all good or all evil. This is too simplistic. We all contain blessings and curses and, the outcome depends on which aspect of ourselves we choose to follow.
Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone has served Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas in Dewitt since 2011. He was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2002, with a concentration in Jewish Education.