On Friday, Jewish people around the globe will be celebrating the Festival of Purim.

Set in Persia, 4th century BCE, the Jews were threatened with annihilation under the rule of King Ahasuerus, by his scheming wicked minister, Haman.

Among the numerous traditions celebrated on Purim, it is customary to wear fancy dress and masks. By doing so, we are highlighting the miracles that G-d performed, not as open miracles, but rather disguised through natural events, which averted the destruction of the Jewish people.

Throughout this year’s pandemic, we have seen misery, serious illness and horrendous numbers of deaths surrounding us. We have been told to stay home, isolate ourselves from each other and to wear masks. We feel disconnected from other people and at times, lonely.

Ilford Recorder: Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin is celebrating Purim in lockdownRabbi Aryeh Sufrin is celebrating Purim in lockdown (Image: Chabad Lubavitch North East London and Essex)

In spite of the horrors we experience around us, we have seen goodness and kindness being shared by total strangers. We have seen support for those suffering alone and needing to shelter. We have heard stories of heroism, by our men and women providing front line services. We too have seen miracles in nature.

Though masks may hide our outer identity, we can still draw on our inner strengths, reflect inwardly, using the gifts we’ve been given to help others and unmask our inner identity.

However, a mask can also be used to hinder our true personality, hiding behind the mask or using it to disguise your true self and inner feelings. This weekend as we celebrate with our fancy dress costumes, celebrating a miracle of old, we can universally still draw on its day-to-day lessons.

Let us pray for our own masks to be removed, our masks of low self-worth, our masks of using drugs of choice to be happy, our masks of fear, depression and resentments, our masks of pride and shame.

Let us pray that our true shining souls – which are a spark of Divinity and our true purpose, will shine through, bringing more light into the world and in turn dispelling the darkness of this pandemic which surrounds us all.