About Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah, meaning "Rejoicing of the Torah", is one of the most exuberant days in the Jewish year. It marks the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah and its immediate restart from the very beginning, expressing the idea that the study of scripture never truly ends. Falling at the close of the autumn festival season, just after Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, it caps weeks of observance on a note of pure celebration.
The heart of the day is the hakafot — seven joyous processions in which the Torah scrolls are carried, sung to and danced with around the synagogue, often spilling into the streets. Congregants of all ages take turns holding the scrolls, children wave flags, and the final verses of Deuteronomy are read before the opening verses of Genesis begin the cycle anew. The atmosphere is closer to a street party than a typical service, full of music, dancing and sweets for children.
Simchat Torah falls on the 23rd of Tishrei in the diaspora (combined with Shemini Atzeret on the 22nd in Israel), so its Gregorian date moves each year but always arrives in autumn, usually in October. Like all Jewish holidays it begins at sundown the evening before. Whether you dance the hakafot or simply want to know when it falls, add Simchat Torah to your own page and watch the days tick down above.
Upcoming dates
| 2026 | Saturday, October 3, 2026next |
| 2027 | Friday, October 22, 2027 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, October 11, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, October 1, 2029 |
FAQ
When is Simchat Torah?
Simchat Torah falls on the 23rd of Tishrei in the Hebrew calendar in the diaspora, at the end of the Sukkot season, usually in October, beginning at sundown the evening before. The countdown above shows the time left.
Why is Simchat Torah celebrated?
It marks the completion of the year-long cycle of reading the Torah and its restart from Genesis, celebrating the joy of scripture and the idea that its study is never finished.
How is Simchat Torah celebrated?
With the hakafot — seven processions of singing and dancing with the Torah scrolls around the synagogue — the reading of the final and first verses of the Torah, flag-waving children and festive sweets.
What is the difference between Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?
Shemini Atzeret is the day before, closing the Sukkot season with prayers for rain and the Yizkor memorial. In the diaspora Simchat Torah follows as a separate day; in Israel the two are combined into one.