The story, as we know it, is all too familiar. The power-hungry megalomaniacal aspiring tyrant and scapegoat artist who whispers conspiracy theories and plots to rid the nation/empire/world of the Jews with the goal of self-advancement and purported heroism. The Purim story sees the unlikely savior in a woman who takes significant risks and finds herself close to power, not as a meritorious ambassadorial appointment, but rather out of physical beauty – יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה  – “the maiden was shapely and beautiful – which demonstrates the lack of resources and power that the Jews of Shushan had. She found herself in a position of power, able to have influence and eventually save the Jewish people. I see the Purim story as a precursor to the Zionist story. As age-old powerless Jews facing near extinction, we, through our own means and with the eventual recognition of the community of nations, succeeded in securing our hard-won sovereignty. The parallel to our modern story persists. Still, in our generation, we see evil plotters who attempt to use their positions of power to weaken the Jewish community and delegitimize the Jewish State. Zionism, for us, is, at least in part, about power. It is about the power of sovereignty and the right to our own self-determination. It is about having the power to protect ourselves and defend against the Hamans and Hitlers, the Ahmadinejads, Nasrallahs, and Sinwars who call openly for and actively seek our destruction – אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנו – as we will read next month in our Pesach Haggadot. The power to defend, protect, and preserve our physical integrity; the power to sustain the wholeness of our גוף – our bodies – must not be a power that corrupts our people’s souls. The great risk that power brings to defend us also brings with it the power to destroy others. We read in chapter 9 of Megilat Esther: )  וַיַּכּ֤וּ הַיְּהוּדִים֙ בְּכׇל־אֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם מַכַּת־חֶ֥רֶב וְהֶ֖רֶג וְאַבְדָ֑ן וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ בְשֹׂנְאֵיהֶ֖ם כִּרְצוֹנָֽם׃  “So the Jews struck at their enemies with the sword, slaying and destroying; they wreaked their will upon their enemies.”  (Esther 9:5) For some, the danger of unchecked power could lead to the conclusion that it is better to be without power than to risk the notion of power being abused. The 20th-century German-Jewish philosopher Emil Fackenheim reminded us that being powerless is not a virtue and that powerlessness itself can even be corrupt, just as power can. History has taught the Jewish people that powerlessness can bring about our destruction, and so we Jews must have the power to defend ourselves. Still, power manifests itself in different ways that do not benefit us as a people. In addition to the risks of abusing power when confronting enemies, the Purim story reminds us that power can also impact our vision for society. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Zionists have been competing with one another for whose vision will prevail in the State of Israel. In November 2022, the citizens of Israel, by a slight majority, chose the most ultra-Orthodox and ultra-Nationalist government in its history and gave it a majority to begin implementing its extremist vision. As society began to unravel as a consequence, the Jewish people fell victim to the great tragedy experienced by the State of Israel on October 7, 2023. We have learned once again if we didn’t know it before, that what happens in Israel affects Jews around the world. But: We have the power to shape the vision of the State of Israel. We need only vote for the Reform Slate in the World Zionist Congress elections currently taking place. This is a vote to control significant funding, to help our Movement’s vision for what a Jewish democratic state ought to be, to influence and advocate for our liberal Jewish values—equality, justice, democracy… Our vote in the World Zionist Congress will give us the power, influence, and strength to stand up against those who are seeking to weaken and sideline us. Our vote is a vote to curb settlement expansion in the West Bank. It is a vote to champion women’s rights and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a vote for the Judaism that we love, learn, teach, and lead for the next generation. It is a vote to say what Rabbi David Hartman wrote that: “A Jewish state must not only be a homeland for Jews but a society that embodies the highest ideals of our prophetic tradition—compassion, justice, and equality.”[1] As we turn to the words and story of the Megilah today, let us be reminded of the importance of having power and using our power to secure the body of Israel and the Jewish people and to fight for our vision of her soul. Could you help us make that a reality? We can’t do it alone. All we need to do is Vote!