22 | OCTOBER 17 • 2019 Jews in the D Mystery Solved Samuel Pepys’ historic account of Simchat Torah is fi nally explained. I f you attend synagogue only once, and your visit coincides with Simchat Torah, you would get a skewed view of Jewish prayer. Most synagogues relax the normal rules of decorum for hakafot (circuits), when people carry Torah scrolls around the sanc- tuary, accompanied by singing, dancing and carrying on. That happened to Samuel Pepys (say it as “Peeps”) on Oct. 14, 1663. Pepys, a political leader and man-about-town in London, decided to visit the newly opened, and first legal, synagogue in London. The synagogue was a new sensation because King Edward expelled all Jews from England in 1290. No Jews were officially allowed until Oliver Cromwell took steps to welcome Jews in the middle 1650s. Jewish Londoners start- ed Shaar Hashamayim shortly thereafter. When Pepys visited, going to synagogue promised to be a new treat for the expe- rience-hungry politician. Back then, Pepys kept a detailed diary of his activities every single day, so we know what happened that evening. He saw men and boys wear- ing tallitot (which he called “vayles”), four or five of them carrying the scrolls of Torah (he called “Laws”). The con- gregation sang the whole service in Hebrew, except for prayers for the king, recited in Portuguese. The experience disturbed Pepys. He wrote, “But, Lord! to see the disorder, laughing, sporting and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever see- ing them more and, indeed, I never did see so much or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world so absurdly performed as this. ” Apparently, no one told him that Jewish services look con- siderably more decorous the other days of the year. This version of the history leaves a few loose ends. Check your calendar, and Simchat Torah in 1663 should have been Oct. 24, not Oct. 14, when Pepys visited the syn- agogue. On what other day would Pepys see hakafot? The columnist who goes by the name Philologos solves that problem: England still used the Julian calendar back then, so England stayed 10 days out of step with the rest of Europe. Simchat Torah indeed fell on Oct. 14 in England. When England finally switched to the Gregorian calendar in September of 1752, it had to make 11 days disappear. But if Oct. 14 was Simchat Torah, how did Pepys see hakafot in the evening? Synagogues around the world do these circuits on the eve- ning as Simchat Torah begins, and on the morning of Simchat Torah. Pepys arrived on the evening as Simchat Torah ended or after the end of the festival! Philologos solves that prob- lem, too. Since at least the middle-1500s, some congre- gations had begun the practice of having hakofot sheniyot (second circuits) on the night after the end of Simchat Torah. Philologos knows of the prac- tice because Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (1534-72) opposed it, but some later Eastern European synagogues favored it. It seems that Shaar Hashamayim had second circuits. Philologos concludes by observing that, while the practice of second circuits hardly exists outside of Israel anymore, it has become wide- spread in Israel, often accom- panied by musical instruments that would not be welcome on the festival itself. This year, Simchat Torah begins the evening of Monday, Oct. 21, at 7:24 p.m. LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER A festive Simchat Torah at the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue from years past BRANDON SCHWARTZ Kadima, a Southfield- based organization serving individuals with mental health challenges, will host its 4th Annual Community Awards Night event Monday, Oct. 28, at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. The complimentary event will include a cocktail reception, hors d’ oeuvres, a program and dessert reception. Kadima will highlight its 35-year history, as well as hand out recognition awards, including Flagstar Bank as the Community Partner of the Year. Flagstar has supported Kadima’ s volunteer program, as well as had an employee lead a regular financial literacy workshop with the people Kadima serves. Jeff Aisen will be honored as the Volunteer of the Year for his many years of taking photographs at Kadima events and activities. The employee of the year and new Member Leadership Award have not been announced. “This event provides a great opportunity to share exciting things taking place at Kadima with our community stakeholders, as well as recognize our members, staff and partners,” said Eric Adelman, executive director. “It has turned into a fun networking event and a way for many people to reconnect while focusing on the important work Kadima does for people with mental health challenges.” To register for the event, email Ali Huber at allisonh@ kadimacenter.org or visit kadimacenter.org/ communityawards or call (248) 663-4330. Kadima’ s Community Awards Night