The BiG Story

Happy Simchat
Torah!

Elizabeth Applebaum AppleTree Editor

Color Our World

(A project for children)

or Simchat Torah, we make and decorate flags
and then wave them around our synagogue or
temple.
Suppose you could design your own flag, showing
some of the most important things in your life. What
would you include?
We would love to see what you come up with.
Please decorate this flag with crayons or markers. Tell us a
little about what you decided to draw and why. Then send it
our way.
In a future issue of The Apple Tree we'll run our favorite
flags — and we'll send some great stickers to everyone who
mails us a flag. Be sure to include your name, age, address
and phone number. Please make sure your flag is at our office
no later than Oct. 31. Send to Flags, The AppleTree, 27676
Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034.

F

Find The Holiday!

T

he words "Simchat" and "Torah" both are hidden seven times in this puzzle, and "Simchat Torah"
appears once. Can you find them all? (Words are horizontal or vertical, backwards and forwards.)

S I TOHRCATORAHSAHOTATORAMCTHSA I TMC
I HORATCMAOHAS I IMI ATAHCMI SR TAOHS IM

MOMRATAHCMI S I HAR I HS ICMATOI SRMAOR A
CHMAOOHOMATRASRTOCS IMCHATRTAOHMI S
HCHCMR S IMTOAHT R ACMT IOR SMI S I CCA TOM
ATOR RATORAHSROMR Al RR AT IMSC I HMATOR
TAHCMI SS IMVHATSTHSTRSMCATMOCSHAT I
TOR AHHOR T RMS TOR AS IMCTOI IMRAATSTRM

10/24
1997

74

Did You
Know?

• Simchat Torah is on the
23rd day of the month of Tishri.
• The celebration of Simchat
Torah dates from the ninth centu-
ry.
• The person honored with
the final reading of the Torah on c3 ,
this day is called the chatan
Torah, or the Torah's bride-
groom.
• If you thought there were
more English spellings for
"matzoh" than you could possi-
bly imagine, try looking through
Jewish books for spellings of this cJ
holiday! Among the ones we
found: Simhat Torah, Simchat
Torah, Simchas Torah, Simchat
Toro, Simhath Torah....
• The custom of holding Sefer
Torahs and marching around
the synagogue on Simchat
Torah began in the 16th centu-
ry.
• In some Jewish communities
of the past, children on this day
carried not only flags but can-
dles.
• Although (what a surprise)
candy is the choice food today,
in the past it was the custom to
pass out fruit to children on
Simchat Torah.