"Good guesses! And half right -- the king likes Hadassah best out of all the young women, and he chooses her to be his new queen. But," lifting a finger, "he doesn't know her name is Hadassah. Because that's her Hebrew name, but her Persian name is Esther, and that's what everyone calls her. And because before she's brought to the palace, Mordechai warns her not to tell anyone that she's a Jew, and she listens to him. And now ... now we meet the last principal character."

Zivia grins. "This is the fun part. When we read this story in our own temples, every time this guy's name gets mentioned, everybody boos and makes noise. You're gonna see why."