page_title: Jewish holidays
section_title: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
hierarchical_section_title: Jewish holidays / Holidays of biblical and rabbinic (Talmudic) origin / Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
caption_attribution_description: English: Religion in Israel עברית: תהלוכה שמחה עם ספר התורה ברחובות המצפה., Original Image Name:הכנסת ספר תורה במצפה, Location:מצפה הילה Mitzpeh Hilla
context_page_description: Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or Yamim Tovim, are holidays observed in Judaism and by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar. They include religious, cultural and national elements, derived from three sources: biblical mitzvot; rabbinic mandates; Jewish history and the history of the State of Israel.
  Jewish holidays occur on the same dates every year in the Hebrew calendar, but the dates vary in the Gregorian. This is because the Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, whereas the Gregorian is a solar calendar.
context_section_description: Shemini Atzeret: 22 Tishrei (combined with Simchat Torah in Israel)
  Simchat Torah outside Israel: 23 Tishrei
  The holiday of Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת) immediately follows the conclusion of the holiday of Sukkot. The Hebrew word shemini means "eighth”, and refers to its position on "the eighth day" of Sukkot, actually a seven-day holiday. This name reflects the fact that while in many respects Shemini Atzeret is a separate holiday in its own right, in certain respects its celebration is linked to that of Sukkot. Outside Israel, meals are still taken in the Sukkah on this day.
  The main notable custom of this holiday is the celebration of Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה), meaning "rejoicing with the Torah". This name originally referred to a special "ceremony": the last weekly Torah portion is read from Deuteronomy, completing the annual cycle, and is followed immediately by the reading of the first chapter of Genesis, beginning the new annual cycle. Services are especially joyous, and all attendees, young and old, are involved.
  This ceremony so dominates the holiday that in Israel, where the holiday is one day long, the whole holiday is often referred to as Simchat Torah. Outside Israel, the holiday is two days long; the name Shemini Atzeret is used for the first day, while the second is normally called Simchat Torah.
caption: Dancing with the Torah
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