                            Temple Beth Jacob             phone (603) 228-8581
                            67 Broadway                      fax       (603) 228-4929
                            Concord, NH 03301           e-mail office@tbjconcord.org

From the Desk of Rabbi Richard L.Klein

How we enjoy celebrating simchas. Births marriages, weddings, anniversaries, one-hundredth anniversaries of synagogues (ours is less than one year away) are all ample cause for rejoicing. Family members travel from hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to be together. Music, food , laughter and reminiscences fill spaces with special energy. Simhat Torah is intended to evoke that same kind of special energy in our synagogues. Each year, we rejoice in the renewal of our reading from the Torah. We rejoice that we will again have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in ancient words that evoke new ideas and understanding of ourselves and our world. The passerby, the outsider who happens to be present when a simcha is celebrated will recognize the joy and special energy that is present. They may be envious, but they will not be full participants – it is not their family not their community. So it is with Simchat Torah. To be full partners in that celebration, the Torah must be our Torah, our resource. So come and join in the celebration as full participants for whom Torah is already an important resource or come as an observer to feel the energy and, perhaps, be moved to become a full partner in future celebrations.

We are a member of Union for Reform Judaism (formerly UAHC)

Webmaster
Last Updated: 02/02/2004