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ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
EDITOR

alk about a great
party!
Simchat Torah
means dancing
and singing, candy treats and
general merriment — right
there in the synagogue or tem-
ple. Who would have thought
religious services could be so
much fun?
Simchat Torah marks the
end of Sukkot, the 23rd of
Tishrei (this year, beginning the
evening of Saturday, Oct. 5).
On this day, congregations
complete the reading of the
Torah by reciting the final vers-
es of Deuteronomy, 33 and 34,
then starting all over again,
with Genesis.
This is cause for celebration,
so many area synagogues will
take out all the Torah scrolls
from the ark and dance with
them around the bimah
(pulpit), or sometimes the
whole sanctuary.
On Simchat Torah, it is
customary to call up (aliyah)
every adult Jew present —
making no distinction between
members and non-members.
Additionally, as part of the fes-
tivities, a number of congrega-
tions invite all children under
bar/bat mitzvah age up to the
bimah for Kol Ha-Neurim ("all
the youth"), a children's aliyah.
A tallit is placed above their
heads, like a chuppah, and an
adult makes the Torah bless-
ing. Some parents like to throw

candy after the portion has
been read. (This is just the kind
of holiday that will help your
family dentist get that new car
he's been wanting.)
In Israel, and among most
Reform Jews in the Diaspora,
Simchat Torah is celebrated on
the 22nd of Tishrei, which also
is the first day of the holiday
Shemini Atzeret. "Shemini"
means "eighth"; "Atzeret" is a
little more complicated. Usual-
ly, it's translated as "solemn as-
sembly."
Although Shemini Atzeret is
mentioned in the Torah, it's
kind of an obscure occasion. It
is, however, traditional on this
day to make a special petition

for rain in the Land of Israel.
If you haven't been to ser-
vices for a long time, Simchat
Torah is a great day to go. Un-
like Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur, you do not need re-
served seating. Any local syna-
gogue or temple will be more
than happy to have you and
your family join in the celebra-
tion, at no charge. El

Did You Know...

• Simchat Torah means lit-
erally "Rejoicing of the
teaching." You probably al-
ready know the word
9 "simcha"; simchatis the
6 adjective form. And
•
• "Torah," of course, means
"teaching."

•

•

ly tried to disrupt the gath-
erinp. Then, bending un-
der foreign pressure (press
from throughout the world
regularly covered Simchat
Torah in the Soviet Union),
officials finally relented,
even sectioning off areas
around the synagogues to
make for easier access.

•

ffi

•
•

•

•
•

• Until the demise of the
0
Soviet Union, Simchat
Torah was the most popu-
• Jews of Ethiopian her-
•
• lar holiday among Jews
itage celebrate a fast day
•
O there. Especially through-
called Sigr4 which occurs
.
• out the 1960s, thousands
around the same time as
•
would meet for singing
Simchat Torah. Sigdmarks •
and dancing outside syna-
the day when Jews re-
• gogues in Leningrad,
ceived the Torah from
God, as well as their return
O Moscow and other cities.
Soviet authorities repeated-
from Babylonia.
•
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What's To Do?

imchat Torah is not the kind of holiday W C.
Fields would have relished.
Granted, there won't be any dogs. But you
will see children galore at every synagogue and tem-
ple, and they will be singing and dancing and march-
ing all around — in short, doing just about everything
they usually don't do during regular services.
Although your synagogue may pass out free paper
flags (most of which are made in China) bearing a Star
of David or another Jewish symbol, it's a lot more fun
to make your own. It does not have to have a specific
design. Use an old ruler, a wooden rod from a craft
store, or a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels
as the holder. Use a piece of poster board or strong
cardboard, or even a sheet of typing paper, to create
the flag itself, which you can attach with staples.
Some ideas for materials to decorate your flag:

• crayons and markers
• pieces of foil felt,
scrap paper
• colored sand
• glitter

• ribbon
• pictures cut from
magazines or catalogues
• stickers
• stamps and stamp pad 0

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SE P TE MB ER

A New
Beginnin

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