Simhat Torah

The breached walls we must rebuild this Seventeenth of Tamuz - opinion

This fast day is a reminder that destruction begins inside when unity fails and division takes root.

An ultra-Orthodox jew prays at the Westen Wall July 17, 2002 on Tisha B'Av
The wedding of Miriam Shani and Ofek Dotan at the Kedar sheep farm near Ma'ale Adumim, June 2026.

Beyond the Headlines: A fallen soldier's widow remarries, stories of renewal inspire - opinion

AN ISRAELI flag seen next to a sign pointing toward a protected space outside Mahaneh Yehuda Market in Jerusalem.

Freedom under fire: Independence Day and the shared song of Israel-Iran resilience - opinion

Members of the Agranat Commission investigate the military’s failures in the prelude to the Yom Kippur War.

Fifty years on, Israel repeats previous mistakes leading to the October 7 massacre - opinion


Haredim board buses disguised as protesters to violate COVID restrictions

The main center of violations was the Mea She'arim neighborhood of Jerusalem, which saw hundreds of participants singing and dancing in crowds, ignoring social distancing measures.

Buses on a Public transport route in Jerusalem on March 16, 2020.

Orthodox group sues Cuomo over NY religious gathering restrictions

The lawsuit filed in Brooklyn in U.S. District Court seeks a restraining order on restrictions Cuomo announced on Tuesday, a declaration that Cuomo’s order is unconstitutional and legal costs.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a daily briefing following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan in New York City, New York, US, July 13, 2020.

Simhat Torah candle-lighting times for Israel and US

See Simhat Torah times for your area.

Shabbat candles

Senior ultra-Orthodox rabbis call to reduce dancing on Simhat Torah

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein instruct not to hold hands during traditional holiday dancing, not to kiss Torah scrolls, and to keep distance ‘as far as possible.’

‘HAVING CHOSEN God, the Torah is God’s response to us.’ Pictured: The Yanov Torah, rescued from the Holocaust.

Simhat Torah and the lockdown’s legacy

As we bid farewell to one of history’s most unusual, unorthodox Sukkot, the very soul of Simhat Torah has been winnowed down to a shell of its former self.

ON SIMHAT Torah, what blessing can be found in all this?

From the backwoods to Israel’s Torah

With the joy that is the theme of this holiday, Bracha's children have found their way home.

ALLYSON GAIL SPENCER at age 7 with Aaron in the cotton fields of North Carolina.

Simhat Torah: The joy of mission impossible

Once we start to read the Torah all over again, we need to be reminded of its absolute holiness, rendering it nearly inaccessible and unapproachable.

We can only catch a glimpse of the book’s outer layer; otherwise, we get burned

Rejoicing with the Torah

This celebration encompasses all layers of society, young and old, rich and poor, learned and less learned.

IDF SOLDIERS celebrate the Torah, 2019.

Simhat Torah in the corona age

The holiday's celebratory dancing is a custom which is not required to fulfill any of the core obligations.

YEMENITE TORAH scrolls

Expressing happiness on Simhat Torah in the US

Being an American by birth, it has been important to me to search resources to find out how my forebearers there observed the holiday in the traditional manner.

SIMHAT TORAH smiles.