Where is simchat torah celebrated

The second very special honor is the final aliyah for this reading from Deuteronomy. The third special honor is the aliyah for the Torah reading that begins the new annual cycle — the one at the very beginning of Genesis.

Because a reference in the Mishnah the first effort to permanently record Jewish custom and law, compiled in the 3rd century C. But it was not until the Talmudic era, about the 6th century C. At that time, the cycle took three years in a pattern called the Palestinian triennial, beginning the first year with the first book, Genesis , and finishing, at the end of the third year, with the fifth book, Deuteronomy.

The Jews of Babylon, however, followed a different custom, established by the beginning of the 7th century CE, and completed the entire cycle each year, which they did by dividing the Torah into 54 weekly portions.

Because the number of portions exceeds the number of weeks in a given year, more than one portion is read during certain weeks.

In Hebrew, the word for portion is parsha plural, parshiyot. In the 19th century, a reintroduction of the Palestinian triennial cycle was attempted at the West End Congregation in London, but was unsuccessful. In the middle of the 20th century, various congregations in the United States primarily Conservative ones were seeking ways to modernize the service and also to spend more time on Shabbat on Torah study. They too attempted to revive the Palestinian cycles with the argument that reading only a section of the weekly Torah portion would make Torah study more concentrated and thus enhanced.

The reintroduction failed for two reasons. First, in the pattern of the Palestinian triennial cycle, the weekly reading would have differed from what the rest of the Jewish world was reading. Second, Simchat Torah celebrations would only occur one out of every three years, instead of annually. Finally, in , the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement passed a legal responsum that put into practice a new American triennial cycle.

This new triennial cycle, rather than dividing the entire Torah into thirds, as was done in the Palestinian cycle, divides each of the individual 54 portions into thirds. Therefore, a congregation can be reading within the same portion as those who follow the annual cycle, but will only read one-third of each portion per year. Among more traditional Jews outside of Israel, they are observed separately from one another on two consecutive days. In Second Temple times, it appears to have been a day devoted to the ritual cleansing of the altar in the Temple.

With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, this function of the day became obsolete. This latter holiday probably originated during the medieval period. Unlike many other holidays, the observance of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are centered in the synagogue and community.

On Shemini Atzeret, some still eat in the sukkah the traditional hut associated with the festival of Sukkot , but in contrast to Sukkot no blessings are associated with that activity. These processions are called hakafot and symbolize the continuous cycle of Torah readings.

As this is happening, the Torah scrolls are passed to different members of the congregation so that many people have an opportunity to participate. Everyone in the congregation is invited to dance and sing with the Torah scrolls, and the scene is extremely festive and joyful. It is traditional to read the last Torah portion several times and invite everyone in the congregation to be called up for an aliyah blessing on the Torah.

Why do Jews dance and sing with the Torah scroll? Share on twitter. Share on facebook. Share on pinterest. Share on whatsapp. By Sara Himeles. Photo via National Library of Israel. What are Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah quick version? Members of the Jewish community on the island of Djerba or Jarbah, off eastern Tunisia take part in the autumn ceremony of Simchat Torah, the Festival of the Law, which falls in the autumn. A torah scroll is carried on the left arm and the eldest son on the right.

What is Shemini Atzeret? What is Simchat Torah? Engraving depicting the Jewish celebration of Simchat Torah, marking the conclusion in the cycle of public Torah readings. Share on email. More on this. When are the Jewish High Holidays in ?