Hadassah Levy is a digital marketer, specializing in websites which focus on Jewish history, Jewish education and non-profits.
Megillat Esther is a fascinating story, which lends itself to creative illustration. Walk into any bookstore and you can find many different illustrated Megillahs, with images ranging from serious to comical.
Torah Live has taken that idea one step further and created a digital illustrated Megillah, which is an excellent tool for teaching the story of Purim to students of all ages. Showing a picture on a big screen while you talk about a specific verse will help focus the students and keep them interested.
The cartoon-like drawings can also be used as a tool for delving deeper into the story of the Megillah. Students can analyze the images to explore the motivations and emotions of each character and then write the story of Purim from the point of view of one of the minor characters of the Megillah.
The Torah Live Purim Series can also be used for review. Show pictures without the accompanying verse and ask students which verse is being depicted. Searching for the correct verse in the Megillah will enhance familiarity with the chronology of the story and with the individual verses. The Torah Live web site also has a series of online quizzes based on the illustrations to help with this.
The images can also be used for inspiration for students to create their own art, depicting scenes from the Megillah. Students can choose different scenes so that when all the pictures are posted on the classroom wall or incorporated into a booklet, they tell the Purim story from start to finish.
The illustrated Megillah slideshow can also be shown at Megillah readings where the audience doesn't understand Hebrew. Each pasuk has been translated and illustrated, so even non-Hebrew speakers can follow the reading easily.
Torah Live specializes in Jewish video content, but the Purim series is not a film. Instead, it’s a slideshow with illustrations which take you all the way through the Megillah. It is available by subscription and can be purchased by signing up for a Torah Live membership.