And then, of Adar II ... this year, double time of joy.
During the months of Adar I and II of this year 5782, about February and March 2022, I rejoiced. The situation of the world around me is critical, yet I feel joy. Strangely enough, I believe this is because I feel I am part of the world again.
After so many months of being in sorrow and pain, I think my mind is reshaping itself, who knows thanks to what? It takes my body in the hand, accompanying it in seeking and reaching out to people who can give good advice on healing, but also reminding it every day to have self-respect and to know its limits.
In these days the challenges of the world and on our everyday lives are tough, but I feel a little more everyday an equal and integral part of society. But I am also increasingly capable of experiencing happiness, freely and with gusto! Which is the meaning of the word joy: not a constant happiness that lasts until a problem comes up, but a zest for life that accepts and deals with the ups and downs of fate.
The lot is the symbol of Purim, which we celebrated a few days ago in Bologna with Or Ammim community, what joy to be together again, such fun masks! 
And there are also the sudden illnesses, we are experiencing them in this pandemic, and I wish a Refuah shelemah to those of us who now need it, that they may be healed soon and well.
I wanted to play the
character of Queen Vashti. 
After observing the fast of Esther, our heroine of the story, here I am celebrating Vashti: I am dressed soberly but I have adorned my eyes and my head with bold and attractive colours, like my crown, to which, however, I do not surrender my dignity. Indeed I drink to Vashti and to her 'restraint', restraint from vanity and co-dependence on a man of perverse behaviour, restraint that paved the way for Esther's chance to bring her sincere and courageous appeal to King Ahasuerus for the salvation of the Jewish people in Persia, c. 480 bce
And as it is often the case with our Jewish holidays, we finally say 'they tried to kill us, we won, let's eat!' Here are my delicious Hamantascherln! They were so delicious thanks to a super recipe found by AJ!
Which, however, I could not make for the very day of Purim which was 16/17 March. But exploring texts I discovered that in the month of Adar there are many Purim celebrated around the world. Today, on the 21st of Adar, in the south of France, near the border with Spain, the Jews of Narbonne celebrate Purim of Narbonne. On that day in 1236, there was a fight between a Jew and a Christian which ended with the death of the latter. A pogrom was about to break out, but the governor of Narbonne suddenly appeared surrounded by his soldiers, and the riot was suppressed. The crowd was dispersed and order was restored. The event is remembered by the community as the Purim of Narbonne. (English/Purim-Narbonne/) (Purim-in-Altre-Città)
