Rejoicing with the Torah

The Jewish fall holidays end with one last celebration: Simchat Torah – “Rejoicing with the Torah.” Torah means “teaching” in Hebrew. The word is used to describe the first five books of the Bible that tell the story of the Jewish people.

Each year the Torah story is retold, with one new section read each week. On Simchat Torah we finish reading the very last part of the Torah scroll – and then roll it all the way back to read the beginning.

On this holiday we even dance with the Torah because its words are so important to us. The Torah is sometimes described as a “tree of life for those who take care of it” – like a tree giving people what they need to grow. Throughout the year, studying the Torah can provide us with new inspiration and new ideas.

Visit Listen for a Simchat Torah dance playlist.