Simchat Torah -- Fifth and Sixth Grade

SIMCHAT TORAH -- Fifth and Sixth Grade

This presentation for Simchat Torah should be included with the presentation for Sukkot. It should be inserted after Sukkot is discussed right before thanking the audience at the end.

Materials: A small "model" Torah with cover, maybe a foot high. This can be borrowed from your Synagogue. One Simchat Torah flag.

START OF PRESENTATION

Just after Sukkot comes the holiday of Simchat Torah. It is not as old or as important as Sukkot, but it's just as festive.

"Simchat" is the Hebrew word for joy or rejoicing. So Simchat Torah means Rejoicing in the Torah. And just what is the Torah?

SYNAGOGUE

First, I have to tell you, that even though sometimes in my talks on Jewish holidays, I may have used the word "church" to refer to Jewish houses of worship, that isn't really correct. The word "church" usually means a Christian house of worship.

A Jewish house of worship is called a synagogue or temple, not a church.

Can we all say"synagogue" together?

SYNAGOGUE.

Very good.

(This is where you can insert a discussion of skullcaps and tallit, if you have not done so elsewhere. There is a discussion of kippot and tallit in the Appendix.)

TORAH

Now, back to the word "Torah."

The Hebrew word "Torah" specifically refers to a scroll of parchment on which a scribe has handwritten the Five Books of Moses in Hebrew. Although sometimes a person will use the word "Torah" more generally to mean any book that ocntains the Five Books of Moses. At times even more generally, a person migh use the word "Torah" to mean the religious teachings or religious law of the part of the Bible that many people call the Old Testament. But the word "Torah" really refers to the parchment scroll with the Five Books of Moses.

Can we all say "Torah" together?

TORAH

Very good.

(Hold up "model" Torah.)

This is not a real Torah, because it is not parchment. You could say this is a miniature model of a Torah. A real Torah is usually about 3 or 4 feet high and weighs about 20 or 30 pounds.

When we aren't reading from the Torah, we cover it with a decorated cloth, like this model, and keep it in a special cabinet at the synagogue.

During certain religious services, we take the Torah out of its cabinet and read from it. Every week a certain number of verses are read, so that by the end of a year, the entire Torah is read. Then we start from the beginning again.

THE STORY OF SIMCHAT TORAH

Simchat Torah is the day that we finish reading the last verse in the Torah and start again from the beginning with the first verse. It is a time of rejoicing in having finished and the joy of starting anew and especially the joy of having the Torah and G-d's word.

In some synagogues, the readings are apportioned to complete the Torah not in one year but in three years. But Simchat Torah is celebrated each year anyway.

CELEBRATION

A synagogue may have more than one Torah, but usually only one or two are taken out at at time. But on Simchat Torah, all the Torahs are taken out and carried around the synagogue in a procession with singing, dancing and kids waving flags.

(Wave flag while you finish this section.)

The procession circles around the synagogue seven times. Simchat Torah feels sort of like having a Fourth of July parade inside your church.

SUMMARY

Simchat Torah is a joyous celebration of G-d's word and the conclusion of the fall holiday season that began with Rosh Hashanah.