The lack of a gay-themed, Jewish children’s book has finally been remedied with “The Purim Superhero,” a story of a young boy whose dilemma over which Purim costume to pick is solved with the help of his two dads.
The book, which has a Purim holiday theme, is being published in conjunction with Keshet, “an advocacy organization which describes itself as working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews in Jewish life,” The Jerusalem Post reports.
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates a story from the Book of Esther where Queen Esther helps foil evil Haman and delivers the Jewish people from Persian oppression. Typically, as part of the celebration, children dress up in costumes and eat hamantashen cookies. This year, Purim falls on Feb. 23.
“We’re so proud to have played such a key role in the publication of this book,” Keshet announced on its website, saying the book is about conviction, courage, space aliens and “the first LGBT inclusive Jewish children’s book in English.”
Author Elisabeth Kushner is currently on a book tour throughout the United States, The Jerusalem Post reports.
“I realized that my old idea for a Purim story was a perfect fit for this project,” Kushner said in an interview posted on KarBen.com, the publisher’s website.
“Purim is very much about ’coming out’ as yourself — Esther is a great example of someone who comes out of the closet for a good cause — and I thought that would be a good setting for a book about a kid with gay parents.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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