Experiencing Traditions
According to Wikipedia, “Simchat Torah means "rejoicing with the Torah" and refers to a special ceremony that takes place on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. This holiday immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot.
The last portion of the Torah is read, completing the annual cycle, followed by the first chapter of Genesis. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved.”
Last Wednesday, October 22nd, I experienced for the first time the celebration of the Simchat Torah. I was invited by my voice teacher, Gail, to join her and her family at their synagogue.
The ceremony was very pleasant, with a lot of singing and dancing. People were invited to walk around the temple 7 times with the Torah Scrolls which in this particular synagogue were covered in white, a different color than during the rest of the year. In the end, the covers were changed back to the usual royal blue.
By the way, they have a total of 7 Torah Scrolls in this temple – all of them written on parchment under the very strict requirements of the tradition, by a specially trained scribe. One scribe will usually write one scroll during his lifetime. Tradition says that, if the scroll is torn, it cannot be fixed and all of the people present at the moment of the tearing have to go to synagogue every day for one year! They are very special and sacred books for the Jewish people.
At the celebration, we were also offered apples as a symbol of the closing of the harvest season (celebrated with the Sukkot, a few days earlier).
My apple was specially delicious because Clara, Gail's 6-year-old daughter, chose it for me. She's an expert in choosing apples, she chose one for each member of the family. Hers, though, was definitely the most perfect.
The last portion of the Torah is read, completing the annual cycle, followed by the first chapter of Genesis. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved.”
Last Wednesday, October 22nd, I experienced for the first time the celebration of the Simchat Torah. I was invited by my voice teacher, Gail, to join her and her family at their synagogue.
The ceremony was very pleasant, with a lot of singing and dancing. People were invited to walk around the temple 7 times with the Torah Scrolls which in this particular synagogue were covered in white, a different color than during the rest of the year. In the end, the covers were changed back to the usual royal blue.
By the way, they have a total of 7 Torah Scrolls in this temple – all of them written on parchment under the very strict requirements of the tradition, by a specially trained scribe. One scribe will usually write one scroll during his lifetime. Tradition says that, if the scroll is torn, it cannot be fixed and all of the people present at the moment of the tearing have to go to synagogue every day for one year! They are very special and sacred books for the Jewish people.
At the celebration, we were also offered apples as a symbol of the closing of the harvest season (celebrated with the Sukkot, a few days earlier).
My apple was specially delicious because Clara, Gail's 6-year-old daughter, chose it for me. She's an expert in choosing apples, she chose one for each member of the family. Hers, though, was definitely the most perfect.
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