It’s time again for my semi-annual soap box speech on attending synagogue on the fun days. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are our holiest days, and for many, the only days on which we feel an obligation to go to synagogue. But Purim and Simchat Torah are our fun days and the days when we should want to go to synagogue.

 

Immediately following the seven days of Sukkot, the Torah commands us to celebrate Shemini Atzeret, to stop and celebrate an eighth day with God. On Shemini Atzeret, we kick off the rainy season in Israel with a special prayer for rain. Centuries after receiving the Torah, our rabbis added celebrating the joy of the Torah, or Simchat Torah to the day, as we finish reading about the death of Moses and immediately begin again with the reading about the creation of the world.

 

As with most holidays, Conservative and Orthodox Jews in the diaspora celebrate two days splitting Shemini Atzeret (starting Wednesday night) and Simchat Torah (starting Thursday night), while Reform Jews and Israeli Jews celebrate one day (starting Wednesday night), combining the holidays.

 

Simchat Torah is a day celebrated primarily in the synagogue with community, dancing with the Torah scrolls while showcasing the unity of the Jewish people. Many synagogues have enhanced the celebrations by adding communal meals.

 

This year, Simchat Torah also marks the first anniversary of the October 7 atrocities with Jewish leaders, locally and worldwide, weighing in on how this year’s celebrations should look while recognizing the gravity of the day. Most have come down on the side of dancing—dancing to celebrate our unity; dancing for those who can no longer dance, and dancing because we need to.

 

So, as I plug every year, find your favorite synagogue or Chabad house, check its schedule and take your kids.