Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah- the holidays at the end of the holiday.
Join us as we honor some of our member volunteers!
As we approach the culmination of the High Holiday season, we find ourselves at the threshold of two holidays that often don’t receive as much attention as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and even Sukkot, yet they carry tremendous significance in their own right Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
Shmini Atzeret, meaning the "Eighth Day of Assembly," is a time when we pause after the seven-day celebration of Sukkot. It is a day to linger in the presence of God. While Sukkot has us dwelling in the temporary structures of the sukkah, Shmini Atzeret calls us to leave the sukkah behind and come back indoors, symbolizing the deep intimacy of our relationship with God. There is no specific mitzvah to perform on this day other than the recitation of Tefilat Geshem (the prayer for rain), which reminds us of our reliance on the natural world and our hope for a fruitful year. We will also recite the Yizkor memorial prayer on Shmini Atzeret.
Simchat Torah, which immediately follows Shmini Atzeret, is a holiday of pure joy. On this day, we celebrate the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and immediately begin it again, symbolizing the eternal and cyclical nature of our connection to Torah. There is a powerful message here: no matter how many times we read the Torah, there is always something new to learn, a deeper understanding to uncover.
The most joyous aspect of Simchat Torah is the hakafot, the processional dancing with the Torah scrolls. We take the Torah in our arms and dance with it, expressing our love for its wisdom and guidance. This celebration is communal—adults and children all participate, reminding us that Torah belongs to all of us.
We started a tradition of honoring volunteers with special aliyot (honors) to the Torah on Simchat Torah morning.The last Aliyah of Devarim(Deuteronomy) and the first Aliyah of Beresheet (Genesis) are special, and this year, we will be giving them to Mona, Arnie Rudnick, and Michael Silverstein.
I encourage you to come to shul for these celebrations, to take part in the hakafot, and to feel the community's energy as we dance with the Torah in our arms. We can all use this outlet this year.
Holiday Schedule:
Thursday, October 24 Morning 9:00 – Shmini Atzeret/Yizkor
Thursday evening October 24 5:30 – Baked Potato Bar Dinner followed by Hakafot and unrolling the Torah
Friday Morning 9:00 October 25 Simchat Torah – Hakafot and honoring our volunteers
Friday 5:45 PM October 25 Friday Evening services
Shabbat Morning 9:00 – October 26 Regular Shabbat services
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