Jewish Holyday: The End and the Beginning

HOUSTON CHRONICLE | BLOG
By Lee Wunsch

This Thursday evening, Jews around the world will begin the final observance of the Jewish High Holiday season. Thursday night, we will observe Simchat Torah – a joyful celebration when we conclude the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) and begin the cycle again. During this festive occasion, all of the Torah scrolls are brought out of the Holy Ark and paraded up and down the aisles of the synagogue sanctuary so that all present can rejoice in the completion of the annual cycle of reading Torah. Unlike most churches where portions of the Bible are read according to some theme, teaching or pastor’s sermon, Jews read the Torah from the start of Genesis to the last chapter of Deuteronomy. In this manner, we are literally wrapping ourselves in the Torah from the beginning to the end to the beginning, yet again. [link]