Dancing with the Torah in Times of Joy and Sorrow

Explore Judaism's most joyous holiday and its transformation following October 7, 2023. This course examines Shimini Atzeret—the "eighth day" when God asks Israel to linger one more day—and Simchat Torah, when communities dance with Torah scrolls celebrating the completion and restart of the annual reading cycle.

Discover the meaning of Jewish chosenness through ancient temple sacrifices, and how the handwritten Torah scroll represents both eternal stability and endless renewal in our modern world. Throughout, we grapple with how joy and sorrow coexist in Jewish experience.

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