THE BOOK OF ESTHER, HIP-HOP STYLE

I am working on a cycle of ceramics illustrating five books of the Hebrew Bible: Ruth, Esther, The Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes and Lamentations.  This group is known in the Jewish tradition as the Chumash Megillot, the Five Scrolls.


I am not usings the images of a vague Biblical antiquity that you find in the rare illustrations of these books in mainstream art, but images from modern life, mainly from 20th century news and documentary photos. The picture here is one of my illustrations of Esther.



So I was pleased to see that the Purim play put on in my synagogue by a group of young people was a Hip Hop Megillah (above.)

It went like this. After a week's drinking, Ahash, bling king of L.A., texts his wife V and asks her to appear at his bash.  When she disses him, he changes his Facebook status. His advisers suggest he can choose his new queen on the X-Factor.  Haman slouches on, hoodie up, and persuades Ahash to kill the Jews for their bling. Esther triumphs and Haman is hanged.
 
The Hip Hop Megillah showed the limits of modern interpretation. It didn't work for me. A king may have been persuaded to kill the Jews in ancient Persia, but who is this king of L.A.?  Where would he have the resources to wipe out the Jews - and what would it do to Hollywood?  Modern Persia, maybe, but not modern America.