Simchat Torah
As we complete the yearly cycle of reading the Torah, or Five Books of Moses, each fall, and prepare to begin it afresh, we gather for a night of live music, dancing, celebration and our annual Torah-Oracle ritual. In this unforgettable ceremony, we unroll the entire parchment scroll of the Torah, and hold it together in a giant circle. Skilled Torah-readers stand in the middle of the circle, and give each person in the circle a blessing pertaining to the verses of Torah they are standing directly behind. The visual impact of seeing the breadth of the Torah before your eyes, reading from the final passage and beginning again on the first passage, all while supporting it with our hands, serves as a profound reminder of the living importance of this document in our heritage. Join us this year to experience the prophecy!
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What's happening this year? | What is Simchat Torah? | Where is the Meaning?
A Little History | So what is Simchat Torah and why do we celebrate it?
Simchat Torah is a relatively recent addition to our holiday calendar. Started by Iraqi Jews in the 10th century, this holiday of celebrating Torah, our most holy scripture, caught like wildfire and spread through the Jewish world. Each group of Jews throughout the world celebrated this holiday differently, a tradition that is kept even today with many communities having their own customs. This holiday evolved over the last 1000 years, as different innovations and traditions spread from one community to another.
The Mystical Meanings | Some Psycho-Spiritual Meanings and Themes
Simchat Torah, like all other Jewish Holidays, has a myriad of themes to connect to on a psycho-spiritual level. Each holiday has the ability for interpretation and reflection. Each year the holiday can mean something else because, as the years pass we change, and how we see the holiday changes with us. Here are some themes that you may want to work with this year or in years to come.
- How do we often need to experience things over and over again before we learn the lesson? What lessons have come up for you time and time again in your life?
- What is your relationship with Torah, with Holy Scripture? Do you want to step closer this year? What could that look like?
- How do you express joy? What is it like to sing Joy? Dance? Speak? How many different ways can you express joy?
- Share your ideas with us!