Good Queen Esther

Artwork: Carville Primary School Pupils

King Ahasuerus was once having a great celebration with his nobles and chiefs.

It lasted for 180 days, and ended with a whole week of feasting and fun for all his subjects.

It was then that he sent for his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti to come before all his guests, in order to display her beauty.

She refused, thus humiliating him in front of his people. He was so angry he banished her from his sight.

Then it was decided that all the most beautiful girls in the kingdom should come before the king so he could choose another bride.

The King chose Esther, and he placed a crown on her head and named her queen.

Later when her own people, the Jews, were in serious trouble, she plucked up the courage to enter the King’s presence uninvited, to plead for them, and the King showed them mercy.

· Compare Queen Vashti with Queen Esther. How do they differ?

· What qualities does a queen need?

· Read the entire story of Esther, and either act it out or draw a carton strip of it.

Design a beautiful dress for Esther to wear when she appears before the king for the first time.

Jews still remember Esther in a special festival called Purim.

Find out all you can about this feast and what takes place.

Look up other Jewish customs and Traditions and find out what is meant by:-

The Sabbath

Bar Mitzvah

Bat Mitzvah

Seder

Rosh Hashanah

Yom Kippur

Passover

Synagogue

31 Good Queen Esther : Esther Chapter 2

(to the tune; ‘London’s Burning’ )

verse two sung in a round

Good Queen Esther by tradition,

won a beauty competition.

And her nation won salvation,

through her prayers and her petition.

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