After the original Purim in Persia, Jews in various countries
have also celebrated additional Purims throughout history.

THE PURIM OF BASRA

Next to Baghdad, Basra is Iraq's second largest city, whose Jewish settlement dates back over a thousand years. Two hundred years ago, before the great exodus of Jews from Iraq, a miraculous salvation of the Jews of Basra established a special Purim.

It happened in the days of Suleiman Pasha, who governed Basra with justice and trea ted the Jews kindly. Under the guidance of Rabbi Jacob ben Aaron, the Jewish community flourished until 1774 when Karim Khan, Vizier of the Shah of Persia, arrived with a big army and besieged the city. Suleiman Pasha fought Karim Khan, but could not prevail. A great famine spread in Basra and on the 27th day of Nissan the city fell to the invaders who robbed and pillaged the city.

Karim Khan imposed heavy fines on the people, particularly on the Jewish community, take their leaders hostage. Rabbi Jacob ben Aaron, with his wife and children, were taken as prisoners, along with Suleiman and his family.

While Karim Khan and his men sat down to drink and celebrate, the Jews of Basra gathered in their synagogue, in fast and repentance to G-d to save them from the wicked Karim Khan.

Seeking further conquests and glory, Karim Khan went out to fight neighboring Arab tribesmen, but his army suffered defeat and retreated to Basra with great losses. Karim Khan barely escaped with his life and returned to Basra with the beaten remnants of his army.

The Persian Vizier tried to gather a new army to fight, but his battle-weary soldiers had no heart to fight any more and plotted to kill Karim Khan. On the 27th day of Adar, 1775, thirteen days after the original Purim, the wicked Persian Vizier was poisoned by his own men.

The Shah ordered the remnants of his army to leave Basra under cover of darkness and return to Persia. On the second day of Nissan, the Jews of Basra rose in the morning to discover that not one of Karim Khan's men remained. They declared this deliverance as "The Purim of Basra."

A holy rabbi and kabbalist from the Holy Land, Rabbi Jacob Elyashar, was then visiting Basra to raise funds for the poor of Hebron. Rabbi Elyashar composed a special scroll for the Jews of Basra, to be recited on this "Day of Miracle," followed by a feast and gifts to the poor, as on the real Purim.

THE ITALIAN PURIM

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte was a 27-year-old general of the French forces in Italy. The young, fiery general breathed life into the military campaign, scoring one victory after another.

The French laid siege to Fossano, a town in Northern Italy at the foothills of the Alps, during Passover. Passover was a time of anxiety for the Jews. As Jew hatred would rise during the Easter season, including the terrible blood libel that the Jews use Christian blood in baking the matza. Any excuse could start a mob attack against the defenseless Jews.

Yet the Jews celebrated the Seder nights and festival days with joy, making many townspeople angry. Rumors were spread that the Jews were celebrating the enemies' success, and perhaps even signaled to the enemy!

The French bombardment missed the Jewish ghetto, a long, narrow street along the city wall. The bombs flew over it and into the rest of the city. The rabblerousers incited the mob against the Jews. If victory over the French was out of the question, a victory over the defenseless Jews was easy.

Jewish community leaders appealed to the city elders for protection, but they were too busy defending the city and could spare no soldiers to protect the ghetto. The unarmed mob rushed the ghetto as the Jews ran for refuge in the synagogue, and prayed for a miracle to save them.

The mob hacked its way through the ghetto, pillaging homes and stores. Thirsting for Jewish blood, they advanced to the synagogue at the far end of the street. The synagogue was located on an upper floor. A narrow staircase led to a vestibule into the synagogue, where the Jewish community huddled from the inevitable attack.

The raging mob reached the synagogue and began climbing the steps, breaking into the vestibule.

Suddenly there was a deafening crash! A bomb fired from a French cannon burst through the synagogue wall and landed in the vestibule right in front of the attackers. The terrified attackers beat a hasty retreat. Many threw away their spoils, as they fearfully ran for their lives.

Fossano's Jews were saved!.

The bomb in the vestibule did hardly any damage, as if its only purpose was to frighten the attackers and save the Jews. The French soon captured the city, and the Jews were spared.

The Fossano Jewish community decreed that the second of the intermediate days of Passover be observed every year to celebrate the wonderful miracle. The gaping hole which the shell made as it crashed through the wall was not closed up. It was fashioned into a window, with a golden inscription in Hebrew marking the miracle.