I need to tell you a story. About 2,000 years ago the Jews had been expelled from the Holy Land, and found themselves living in the capital of Persia, Shushan. The king of the Persian Empire, Achashverosh, had his beloved wife, Vashti, executed at the very party that he had thrown to celebrate his marriage to her. The beautiful and pure Esther, then 40 years old, gets crowned queen of this world empire. Years she is in the palace, refusing to tell anyone her background, wondering what she, a righteous Jewish woman is doing, married to this capricious, drunkard king.