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Torah scrolls with decorative mantel laying atop them

Torah Cannot be Torah Without Us

Torah cannot be Torah without us; it needs us. Therefore, we must read it, we must study it, we must discuss it and debate it. We must carry it. We must dance among its verses, discovering ourselves in its chapters.

Screen shot of Bim Bam video explaining Simchat Torah

Songs and Videos for Celebrating Simchat Torah

Cantor Rosalie Will

One of most wonderful aspects of Simchat Torah is celebrating the joy of children and families dancing and singing with our Torah scrolls. While we will be unable to dance together in person, we invite you to play the following videos or audio files and dance in your homes.

Do we literally read the entire Torah in one year, starting on Simchat Torah?

Answered by

Rabbi Victor S. Appell

We read the entire Torah over a year, beginning the cycle on the same week as Simchat Torah. The Torah is divided into 54 portions – or parashiyot – and, generally, one portion is read each week on Shabbat.

How many days is Sukkot?

Answered by

Rabbi Mark Washofsky, Ph.D.

Sukkot, the Jewish festival of booths (a harvest holiday of thanksgiving), begins on the 15^th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

Blessing for Learning and Studying Torah

Before the study of Torah:

A Prayer for Simchat Torah

“Rejoicing in the Torah” doesn’t require us to find joy in every verse. It doesn’t mean that we concur with every choice made by the people in it.

Pumpkin Bread

Recipe by

Hebrew Senior Life

Fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg, this classic recipe is a popular autumn favorite, delicious for Shabbat, to serve in the sukkah and to celebrate Simchat Torah.

Apple Dapple Cake

Recipe by

Deborah Rood Goldman

Try fresh apple cake with an irresistible caramel topping.

Celebrate Torah

Rabbi P.J. Schwartz

Every year, the season of reflection and renewal is culminated by the celebration of Simchat Torah (literally “the rejoicing of the Torah”).

Drawing Near to Torah

Debbie Niederman

I did not have a typical Reform Movement upbringing, and would say that the three years I lived on an island in Alaska are probably most emblematic of that.