Simhat Torah

Miracle in the medicine cabinet: A Simchat Torah story of healing and joy - opinion

I’m sure I have some meds that I don’t need anymore, and a few more that have probably expired, but I’m grateful that my hoarding mentality may have inadvertently saved a life. 

An illustrative image of a man reaching for medicine in a medicine cabinet.
PEOPLE MARK the conclusion of Simchat Torah at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv last week, even as the clock continues to tick, still awaiting the return of hostages killed in captivity in Gaza. Simchat Torah was a mix of emotions this year, the writer notes.

Going it alone: Israel’s healing won’t come from the world—it must come from within - opinion

Einav Zangauker at celebrations at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv as negotiators sign deal freeing all hostages from Gaza, October 09, 2025.

Beyond the headlines: What the freed hostages teach us about Jewish resilience - opinion

Lala Levi lights Simchat Torah candles alongside her ‘chavrutah’ (study partner) at Kesher Yehudi’s Jerusalem retreat for Nova survivors.

Kesher Yehudi: A Simchat Torah experience for Nova festival survivors


Pascale’s Kitchen: Delicacies for festival rejoicing

There are some basic foods that you simply cannot give up on Shabbat: good cake, cholent, a small kiddush (breakfast) and, of course, challah.

 Babka/Kugelhopf with almond nougat

Simhat Torah: Let’s dance!

So how do we celebrate a covenant with God? How do we express the joy and the privilege of being Jewish? What is the right way to celebrate our love of God? The Jewish nation has the answer.

 CELEBRATING SIMHAT Torah in Gush Etzion.

The ancient Jewish practice of Hakhel gets a 21st-century revival

There will be a Hakhel event at the Western Wall plaza in Jerusalem on the second day of Sukkot, where three new Torah scrolls will be dedicated.

 JEWS PRAY at the Western Wall on Jerusalem Day. The Kotel is the most visited site in Israel, according to the Tourism Ministry.

Bus stories: After the holidays

In my ongoing pursuit of anecdotes to remind us that there is so much good in life, my stories during the holiday period were marked with interactions between different sectors of the population.

 Illustrative photograph of a man putting tefilin on an IDF soldier outside the Jerusalem Bus Station

The government must take action against Jewish extremist violence - editorial

What the government ministers need to understand, is that doing so has nothing to do with Right or Left, it has to do with what type of society exists in Israel.

 IDF Central Command head Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fox visiting the Palestinian village of Khirbet al-Mufaqarah in the South Hebron Hills, West Bank, September 30, 2021.

Sukkot, Simhat Torah and the duet between God and Man

The transformation of the second day of Shmini Atzeret into Simhat Torah is a direct outcome of the Jewish exile from our homeland.

 REJOICING IN  the Torah at  Tel Aviv’s Rabin  Square.

Simchat Torah renews our ability to tell 2 Genesis creation stories

What can Simhat Torah and Jewish values teach us about the way we view and teach American history?

SIMHAT TORAH smiles.

What is Shmini Atzeret about, anyway?

Shmini Atzeret doesn’t get much respect because we struggle to know what to make of it. f course, it’s a Biblical holiday just as much other holidays.

 A young man holds up a giant etrog at a Sukkot market in Jerusalem.

Simhat Torah candle-lighting times for Israel and the US

See Simhat Torah times for your area.

Shabbat candles

On Simhat Torah, a call for inclusion

On Simhat Torah, we dance in celebration. For the differently-abled, this may be a time of not joy — but frustration. The differently-abled may dance differently, but we should always dance together.

  A CAMPER arrives at Camp Simcha.