Episode 122: Miriam Anzovin on Power and Gender in the Megillah

In this special Purim episode, Talmudic TikToker and storyteller Miriam Anzovin joins us to talk about the darker side of the Purim story, especially the role of gender. We start with a dramatic retelling of the Megillah, with Miriam's very contemporary spin on the traditional tale. Then we take a closer look at the story's gender dynamics, which still resonate 2,500 years later. Happy Purim!

Content warning: This episode includes explicit language and references to sexual assault. 

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Released March 11, 2025
  • TikTok and Instagram sensation Miriam Anzovin. Courtesy of Miriam Anzovin. 

  • Vashti Refuses the King's Summons by Edwin Long, 1878.
    Courtesy of Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery.
  • The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy.

    Institution: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem.

  • Miriam Anzovin with caption that reads "Shalom Enemy"
  • Miriam Anzovin sitting on the floor, wearing headphones, with laptop and book in hand
  • "Vashti Refuses the King's Summons," 1878
  • Esther kneels before King Ahasuerus as he crowns her, with the caption in Hebrew: "He placed the queen's crown on her head."

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Episode 122: Miriam Anzovin on Power and Gender in the Megillah." (Viewed on September 12, 2025) <https://qa.jwa.org/podcasts/canwetalk/episode-122-miriam-anzovin-power-and-gender-megillah>.