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Simchat Torah 5787 in New Haven

We're still building our New Haven listings for Simchat Torah 5787. Simchat Torah ('Rejoicing of the Torah') is the jubilant holiday that marks the completion and immediate restart of the annual Torah reading cycle. Falling immediately after Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, it is a day of pure, unbridled joy. In synagogue, every Torah scroll is removed from the ark, and the congregation dances with the scrolls in seven joyous circuits called hakafot. The last portion of the Torah (the final chapter of Deuteronomy) is read, and immediately the first portion of Genesis ('In the beginning') is chanted, symbolizing that Torah study is a continuous, never-ending cycle. Two special honors are given: the Chatan Torah (Groom of the Torah), who is called to the final Torah reading, and the Chatan Bereishit (Groom of Genesis), who is called to the first reading. Children wave flags, often topped with apples and candles, and candy is thrown in celebration. The day represents the deep and joyful relationship between the Jewish people and the Torah.