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I COMMENT
Simchat Torah Marks
End Of Fall Holidays
LEONARD WINOGRAD
Special to The Jewish News
FORD
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967E3700
24750 Greenfield Rd.
Oak Park, MI 48237
MIKE SCHNEIDER
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TOYOTA
1951 S. Telegraph Rd.
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48013
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34
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1990
I
ne of the helpful
points of discussion
for Jewish children
living in an overwhelmingly.
non-Jewish community is
"Who has the right calen-
dar?"
Our New Year begins in
the fall, while the commun-
ity calendar gives Jan. 1 as
the start of the next New
Year.
It is an undeniable fact
that all the calendars recog-
nize that the real work year
begins in September or Oc-
tober, after we take our
vacations in August. It is
also the traditional time for
the school year to start, as
well as for our civic clubs
and service organizations,
which follow a calendar of
events that begins right
after Labor Day and con-
tinues to early summer.
Our fall holiday season,
which ushers in a new year
of Jewish community activi-
ty, comes to a close with the
end of the week long Sukkot
festival. The seventh day of
Sukkot is called Hoshanah
Rabbah, because on this day
seven processions are made
around the bimah. The
eighth day of Sukkot is
Shemini Atzeret, the eighth
day of solemn assembly.
The following day brings
the holy season to a joyous
climax. We call it Simchat
Torah, and little children
adore the parades in the
sanctuary with little paper
flags as the Torahs are car-
ried lovingly. Among less
traditional Jews, who
observe Simchat Torah in
combination with Shemini
Atzeret, it is one of the
largest throngs of the year
as we complete the reading
of Deuteronomy and begin
the reading of Genesis once
more in our never-ending
quest for wisdom and in-
spiration.
One family is honored to
represent the eternity of
Torah, as a grandfather
takes a scroll from the ark
and hands it to a married
child who in turn hands it to
a third generation, usually a
youngster who has been bar
mitzvah or bat mitzvah. All
three generations are
honored by being called to
the Torah to recite the prop-
er blessings.
Rabbi Leonard Winograd is
retired and living in Pitt-
sb urgh.
Another lovely practice is
that of consecration of the
new class of Hebrew School
students. They recite signifi-
cant passages in Hebrew and
sing them also in transla-
tion, for which they receive
miniature Torahs and cer-
tificates as well as a special
blessing from the rabbi.
About 20 years ago, Sim-
chat Torah emerged as the
favorite holiday of Soviet
youth. The streets outside of
the synagogues were crowd-
ed with young Jews who
could not read a word of
Hebrew, but who cheered
and sang the equal of any
youth group in the free
world.
This did not happen on
Rosh Hashanah, Yom
Kippur or Pesach. It seemed
It also explains why
it is that
anti-Semitism has
survived in Russia.
especially poignant that
these young people, who had
never been to Hebrew school
themselves, would find
meaning and joy in celebra-
tion of that one Jewish book
which more than any other
had been denied to them for
most of their lives.
There is an important
lesson for us all here.
Governments, even the most
ruthless and mighty, can
ban the public teaching of
religion, but religion is also
taught from one father to
one son at a time. This is
very difficult for a govern-
ment to combat, especially
when the love is deep and
the children understand that
there are things going on in
the home which are not safe-
ly discussed outside the
home.
This works two different
ways. It also explains why it
is that anti-Semitism has
survived in Russia despite
the intention of Soviet
leaders to stamp it out as a
vestige of an outmoded so-
cial order.
It is always helpful to re-
member that the same
aspect of social change that
works in our favor can also
work against us. With the
re-emergence of Soviet anti-
Jewish propaganda, we are
reminded of the ancient ad-
monition: Be careful what
you are praying for; you just
might get it.
❑
Jewish Telegraphic Agency