“Hey, Lev! Come on. I have a test tomorrow and I have to study.”
“Me too, Alex, but just listen to all that noise. I wonder what it is?
“It sounds like it’s coming from the synagogue. Don’t you want to check it out?”
“I don’t know. Remember what Dad told us about going there.”
“But how will he ever find out? Look over there. People are dancing in the street. What’s going on?”
“Wait a minute. It must be that holiday that Grandpa told me about. What did he call it ... I know, Simhat Torah or something like that.”
“Right, I remember now. That’s when everyone goes to the synagogue.”
“Everyone except Dad.”
Are you sure about this? What will Dad say if he finds out?”
“Well, Alex, he’s not going to find out. Besides, practically all the Jews in town will be at the synagogue.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know. But I hear that people take Simhat Torah pretty seriously.”
The two boys walked over to the synagogue. They were frightened, but at the same time they were glad to have this opportunity to meet so many Jews. And there were so many, they couldn’t even reach the door. The street was packed with people. The boys knew many of them, but many others were a complete surprise. “Look at that,” said Alex, “I didn’t know that he was Jewish.”
It took just a few seconds for the boys to be swept into a big circle of people dancing a hora. “Hey Alex,” Lev called out, “Do you think we could get some flags?” In fact, many of the children were dancing with colorful Simhat Torah flags.
Lev felt a tap on his shoulder. “Did I hear you boys say you want some flags?”
“Thanks, Dad!” he said. “Dad! Oh no! Alex, I think we’re caught!”
“That’s right,” their father said, “What exactly are you boys doing here? Didn’t you say you were going to study?”
Their smiles disappeared quickly. “But Dad,” Lev answered, “we just wanted to see what Simhat Torah was like.”
Alex, on the other hand, sometimes spoke back to his parents: “And what about you Dad? What are you doing here? Didn’t you say you had some errands to run?”
Their father just smiled, “I guess we all wanted to see what Simhat Torah was like. I won’t tell your mother if you don’t.” The boys winked at their father and dragged him into the circle of dancers. And in a far corner, a woman beamed happily. After all, she hardly expected to see her husband and sons at the synagogue on Simhat Torah.
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