Some communities celebrate Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on two separate days; in other communities they are combined. Either way, this grand finale to the fall holiday season comes with a wide array of themes and practices. It culminates with a raucous celebration of Jewish learning and Jewish community, as we dance with the Torah scrolls and read both the end and the beginning of the Torah on the very same day.
A prayer for rain during the Amidah on Shemini Atzeret in memory of those fallen during the Yom Kippur War
Poem for the dedication of a new Torah cover
Song for a women’s Torah reading on Simchat Torah, based on the traditional Chatan Torah poem
A complete ritual featuring a prayer for rain, packing boxes of food for a food pantry, and an optional text study.
Three poems reflecting on different aspects of Torah
Celebrating the Torah while keeping our loved ones memories as blessings
A variety of candle lighting blessings, traditional and modern, for holidays
On Shemini Atzeret, Jews offer a special prayer for rain (it is the beginning of the rainy season in Israel). The traditional version of this prayer refers obliquely to each of the forefathers and their relationship to water; this version highlights the foremothers.
Women’s prayer for rain
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