Simchat Torah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly), which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei, which occurs in mid-September to early October based on the Gregorian calendar. This year, Simchat Torah beginning at sunset on September 28 and ending after nightfall on September 29, 2021.
The main celebrations of Simchat Torah take place in the synagogue during evening and morning services. On the morning of the holiday, the last parashah (portion) of the book of Deuteronomy is read in synagogue, followed by the first parashah of the book of Genesis. Simchat Torah is celebrated by taking all the Torah scrolls out of the ark in synagogue and spending the evening dancing, singing, and rejoicing. The scrolls or hakafot are carried around the sanctuary in seven circles. Though only seven circles are required, the dancing and celebrating usually goes on much longer. It is also customary to drink alcohol on the holiday as part of the celebratory experience. In terms of food, one popular ingredient for Simchat Torah meals is cabbage, due to its cylindrical shape, which represents the shape of the Torah scroll. Based on this, stuffed cabbage is a traditional Ashkenazi Simchat Torah dish. Another cylindrical-shaped food considered significant for Simchat Torah is blintzes. Some people also like to make Torah-shaped cookies for the holidays.
