SIMCHAT TORAH
As the holiday approaches this year we of course find ourselves split. On one hand, it is a time of joy and cause for celebration. On the other hand, how can we dance unencumbered by the tragedy of the past year, one that continues daily so long as our hostages remain in captivity.
To give voice to these feelings, we will celebrate/commemorate the hakafot dancing this year in the following way: For each hakafa, we will assign a specific theme, and that theme, in turn, will influence how we act for that hakafa.
The first hakafa will be dedicated to all the victims of October 7th. We will not dance, but simply remain standing in silence.
2nd Hakafa: We again stand silent at attention to honor the sacrifice of all those soldiers who perished this past year in defense of Israel.
3rd Hakafa: We will sing slow songs while embracing one another as we think of the hostages still in captivity.
4th Hakafa: We continue with slow songs as we think of all the evacuees unable to return home.
5th Hakafa: Songs of bravery and eretz Yisrael to honor soldiers past and present.
6th Hakafa: Song and dance to celebrate completion of Torah and ability to continue with our daily lives, our resilience, the spirit of volunteerism and civic life.
7th Hakafa: Song and dance to celebrate our commitment to rebuild.
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