I Am Vashti

“I feel the weight of hundreds of women’s eyes on me, wide and shocked, waiting for me to respond. Weeks later, though I am alone, their eyes have not left me.”
 
I wrote this Midrash* for Jewish Women International to give Vashti a much need voice in the conversation around her. I wanted to give her her voice. Seeing a conversation surrounding #IAmVashti and #MeToo is so crucial as Purim approached, and we must remember the woman who came before Esther. We have to remember that Vashti said no. She said enough. And as a result, she was banished. Traditionally, that is where her story ends. Nothing more is known about what became of her. I hope that this Midrash gives her a little bit of the justice she never got.
 
Read the full Midrash on JWI’s website here. I also urge you to explore the other pieces on the site and read more about #IAmVashti and #MeToo!