The Irish/Jewish convergence of Purim and St. Patrick’s Day – with pro-bonobo and Free Palestine touches – comes together in one lucky Max Collage, as I continue to try to process my deep grief for my beloved husband, Maximillian Lobkowicz di Filangieri (11/8/1943 – May 13, 2025) through an auspicious arrangement of sweet-and-spicy, memory-infused, good-vibes-triggering holiday photos.
“Purim & St. Paddy free Palestine” memorializes Captain Max’s fond feelings for his Catholic childhood and the Biblical holidays of his adopted Judaism, as well as his passionate support for a free Palestine, especially in his last years. Together, we created wild, bacchanalian celebrations – Squirting St. Paddy’s Eve, Purim Rising and countless radio shows – retelling these ancient tales through the eyes of sexologists.
Regarding the Feasts of Erin and Esther… at first glance, they seem as far apart as Ireland is from Iran. But upon deeper reflection, we realize that both holidays revolve around luck, lust, lotteries, triangles, copious amounts of alcohol – green beer or red wine, and whiskey or Schnapps for the deeply observant – and the erotic, mischievous coming of Spring.
Bottom line: Both Purim and St. Paddy’s are Party Holidays.
Disarming Charms
And both Saint Patrick and Queen Esther were the “Life of the Party,” immigrants in their respective lands of Ireland and Iran who won the day against all odds with nothing but their Weapons of Mass Seduction.
Before he was a Saint, Patrick was a young British prince. Kidnapped and enslaved by Irish pirates, he won his freedom, found Jesus, converted pagans, chased out snakes and evolved into the patron saint of the Emerald Isle – and Irish pubs around the world.
Before she was a Queen, Esther was a Jewess-in-disguise (real name: Hadassah). When her cousin – whom Max and I playfully and rather accurately called “Pimping Cousin Mordecai” in our Commedia EroticaPurimshpiels – entered her into an imperial beauty contest, the “comely” Esther won the heart of the King of Persia (now Iran) and averted a genocide, thanks to her teasing approach to diplomacy.
You could call Esther’s and Patrick’s talent for winning hearts (and chasing away snakes) without brute force “charm.” Lucky Charms aren’t just a cereal; they put the “Sláinte!” in St. Paddy’s Day. And seductive charm puts the “L’Chaim” (To Life!) in Purim, the feast of the charming and divinely disarming Queen Esther.
Captain Max was a charmer too; he certainly charmed me – and I wasn’t the only one. Maybe I charmed him too. One thing that charmed, disturbed and inspired Max in his last years, even after his stroke, was the plight of the Palestinian people. Max was just a nice Jewish Catholic pagan pro-bonobo boy who couldn’t abide a genocide.
St. Paddy’s Pussy Cookies for Palestine
So, my sixth Max Collage is a kaleidoscope of greens and blues, Irish kisses and hamantaschen — which we called “pussy cookies,” and which Max loved munching as much as me, preferably with a green Guineas. So, with St. Paddy’s photos around the edges, Purim in the center and support for Palestine interspersed throughout, “Purim & St. Paddy free Palestine” conveys my dream that the liberating erotic spirits of Purim, St. Patrick’s Day and Captain Max can somehow come together – like a Spring miracle – to charm the world and disarm the War Machine, freeing Palestine and all oppressed peoples.
In these days when a “Board of Peace” is just an Orwellian-Machiavellian name for more Zio-Casino Perma War, I suppose my collage conveys a pipedream; as Max often said, “the ideal is the enemy of the real.” But if St. Paddy and Queen Esther hadn’t pursued their ideals against all the odds of the real, we wouldn’t have these fun holidays.
May the spunky spirits of Saint Paddy, Queen Esther and Captain Max stop the wars – on Palestine, Iran, Venezuela, Greenland, Ukraine, Somalia, Canada, Cuba, Chicago, Minneapolis, LA, and anywhere else I’m forgetting.
May we all live and love in peace (the real thing).
