The High Holidays are behind you, the sukkah is still standing, and the year's most exuberant celebration is about to begin. Here's what's waiting for you.
1. It's Wonderfully Informal
There are no tickets, no assigned seats, and really not much you need to know in advance other than that this is where you belong. Simchat Torah at a Chabad House runs on a simple principle: the door is open, and you're an invited guest. Come for the whole evening or wander in halfway through — either way, it’s exactly where you belong.
2. It’s All About the Dancing
At most services, the focus is listening and saying (or singing). Here, the highlight is something you do. The Torah scrolls come out of the ark and are paraded around the room seven times (the hakafot) while everyone dances. It's the one night of the year when a synagogue sounds like a wedding.
3. No Experience Necessary
On Simchat Torah, we celebrate every Jew’s innate connection to the Torah. While we dance, the Torah stays closed. The scholar who has learned it countless times and the person who can't yet read a word of Hebrew are holding the exact same scroll.
4. When Else Can You Wave a Flag and Not Feel Silly?
Adults spend the year being sensible. Then Simchat Torah arrives with complete social permission to march around waving paper flags over your head. There is something genuinely restorative about being unguardedly, uncomplicatedly happy in public. And this is the night the Jewish calendar sets aside for exactly that.
5. There's Food and Fun in Shul
Sure there are the Torahs and prayers, but there is also dancing, singing, capering, snacking, and maybe even some (moderate) drinking in the synagogue.
6. The Food’s Good—and Indoors
Depending on where you live, eating in the sukkah could have been a (literal) piece of cake, or a test of endurance. On Simchat Torah, the food’s all enjoyed indoors, so no matter the weather, you can be sure to enjoy your Simchat Torah feast.
7. Your Rabbi Will Be Genuinely Glad You Came
Whether you were there a dozen times over the past month or this is the first time you've walked in all year, your rabbi will be glad to see you. Not everyone knows how much fun it is to celebrate Simchat Torah, and your Chabad rabbi will be sure to appreciate that you’ve made the choice to enjoy this special celebration of the Torah, our heritage.
8. It's the Grand Finale of the Whole Season
Think about the arc you've just traveled: the shofar and soul-searching of Rosh Hashanah, the fasting and awe of Yom Kippur, a week of meals in G‑d’s loving sukkah embrace. Simchat Torah is when it comes to a joyous crescendo.
So find your local Chabad, show up as you are, and grab a flag if you dare. You can thank us after the holiday.
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