Customs

Stories
Songs

Calendar


Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
Shmini Atzeret

What is Simchat Torah?


Simhat Torah is the last day of the long holiday season that began with Rosh HaShana. It is a very happy day, one of the most cheerful festivals in the Jewish year. On Simhat Torah, we finish reading the last of the five books of the Torah. We read "Zot HaBracha", the last parashah (weekly portion) of the Torah. The person who reads this parashah is called the "Hatan Torah". Right after the Hatan Torah finishes reading "Zot HaBracha", the Torah is rolled back to the beginning and another person (called the "Hatan Breishit") is called up to read the first parashah of the Book of Breishit.