To celebrate the festival of Purim, this boy in Indias capital city Mumbai has dressed up in costume, following the well-known tradition of dressing as heroes and villains from the story of Esther. But rather than a figure from the Megillah, he is wearing the iconic outfit of his countrys greatest political hero, Mohandas Gandhi, who led Indias non-violent struggle for independence from the British Empire and self-rule through methods of civil disobedience in the 20th century. (Photographer Zion Ozeri insists that the boys somber demeanor was just him impersonating Gandhis seriousness and minutes later he returned to the Purim tradition of being merry.) The boy is a member of Bnei Yisrael, the largest of three distinct Jewish communities in India which traces its roots back to a small group that left the Galilee area for the subcontinent in the 2nd century BCE, but was separated from the rest of Judaism for centuries thereafter. In fact, Gandhis close friend and advisor, Dr. Abraham Solomon Erulkar was a member of the Bnei Yisrael and his family also founded a major synagogue in the state capital of Ahmedabad. Though many families from the Bnei Yisrael group have immigrated to America, England, or Israel, the blend of cultures in the community remains strong.
What are your familys or communitys traditions during Purim? What other characters from popular culture are often featured in Purim celebrations?