Purim is traditionally one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination. One of the central commandments related to Purim is the reading of the book of Esther known as the Megillah, which means scroll. It is customary to hold celebrations on Purim, to perform plays and parodies. The photos presented here, taken from our Photo Archives, represent the some of the ways that Purim was observed throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust, during the Holocaust years, and in the displaced persons camps and children’s homes following the war.