Reviving Leil Purim: A Sephardic & Mizrahi Henna Tradition for Modern Jewish Women

As I stirred together sugar, water, lemon, oil, and henna powder, the scent bloomed—fragrant herbal bouquets weaving through the banquet of Purim treats we had prepared. I glanced lovingly around at trays stacked high with sticky baklava, pistachio-laden hamentaschen (orejas de Aman in Ladino), sugar-powdered kaldeh, rose-infused mint mocktails, fresh-cut fruit, and stuffed dates. The familiar pulsation of drums in piyutim and Sephardic dance songs played over the speaker, setting the stage for the night ahead.

In just a few hours, women of every generation would walk into our kal to sing to each other, feed each other sweets, and bless each other with henna, as if we were preparing for Queen Esther’s wedding.

I felt overwhelmed by stepping into the past while creating something entirely new—a deep-rooted connection ledor vador, from generation to generation.

At Congregation Ahavath Achim in Portland, we wanted to create an opportunity for the women of our community to connect meaningfully before Purim, to personally step into Esther’s story—her bravery, creativity, and transformation. As a henna artist who studies Jewish henna traditions, I turned to a nearly-forgotten holiday of the Jews of Kurdistan: Leil Purim. Practiced until the mid-20th century, this tradition centered around the mikvah and beautification rituals comprising the khiyapit benatha (‘the bath of the maidens’) meant to make the maidens as beautiful for Purim as Esther was when she appeared before King Ahashverus.

First appearing in Jewish liturgy in Shir haShirim, the Song of Songs, henna has been practiced by Jews continuously for thousands of years and is now experiencing a revival among young Jews like me who see its preservation as an act of cultural pride. In the Sephardic world, henna was predominantly used for weddings and beautification. Records of romanzas—love songs sung in Ladino—describe women dyeing their fingertips and coloring their hair with henna to attract their lovers. This tradition, once widespread and beloved, was lost to migration, assimilation, and modernity.

While Sephardic Jews trace their roots from ancient Judea to medieval Spain, many Mizrahi Jews who experienced exile in the Middle East and North Africa followed Sephardic liturgical traditions, creating a shared heritage. Reviving pre-Purim henna isn’t just about adopting a Jewish Kurdish custom—it’s about reclaiming Jewish traditions that have faded over time.

There is something profoundly joyful about marking sacred moments with beauty. Henna ceremonies align beautifully with Purim’s themes of transformation, resilience, and hidden miracles. They offer a tangible way to strengthen communal identity, linking us to our ancestors and each other.

By bringing this ritual back, we aren’t just remembering Sephardic customs—we are living them. Henna, with its deep roots in Jewish celebration, becomes a bridge between past and future, an embodied connection to joy, unity, and cultural pride. In creating space for these traditions to thrive, we ensure our heritage continues—not just as memory, but as a vibrant, evolving part of Jewish life today.