From the Desk of Jennifer Lorch Selco | Sr. Director of Jewish Life + Engagement
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After the week-long celebration of Sukkot, we celebrate Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. On Simchat Torah, we read the closing portion of the Torah, V’Zot HaBracha (Hebrew for “And This Is the Blessing”), and then immediately begin the opening portion, Beresheet (Hebrew for “In the Beginning”).
The Torah ends with the word Yisrael (Israel), whose final letter is lamed (“l”). The first word of the Torah is Beresheet (“b”). The last verse is read in the same breath as the first, reminding us that the cycle of Torah and learning is continuous. Together, the final and first sounds form the word lev, Hebrew for “heart.” The Torah is often described as the heart of the Jewish people. Its stories, wisdom, questions, and teachings travel with us across time and place. We return to them again and again, finding something new in familiar words and discovering that the learning is never truly finished.
In Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Ancestors, Ben Bag-Bag teaches:
“Turn it over, and turn it over again, for everything is in it. Look into it; grow old and gray in it; and do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it.” – Pirkei Avot 5:22
The beauty of Simchat Torah is that it is an annual invitation to begin again, not because we have finished learning, but because there is always more to discover. We turn the Torah over and over, carrying its stories and questions with us as we move through our lives. And while the text remains the same, we change. We return to the same words with new experiences, new questions, and new perspectives, and in doing so, the Torah meets us anew.
Chazak, chazak v’nitchazek — Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened by one another.
We return to the Torah week after week, year after year, carrying with us the experiences, questions, and perspectives that have shaped us along the way. The words may be the same, but we are always changing and there is always something new to discover. The same is true of our community here at the Tucson J. We come together again and again—to learn, move, celebrate, connect, and create. Each time we return, we bring something new with us, and each interaction has the potential to deepen our connection to ourselves and to one another.
This week at the J we embraced the joy of Sukkot, spending time in the sukkah and with one another. On Monday, the leadership team gathered together for a moment of Jewish learning, enjoyed a nosh, and took turns shaking the lulav and smelling the etrog.
On Tuesday, teens in BBYO celebrated the holiday with a cooking competition and candy sukkah-making! Wednesday, kids in our JCare afterschool program joined in the foodie fun, making graham cracker sukkahs. And, all week long, children in Early Childhood Education gathered in the sukkah for stories and snacks. This evening, a group of young adults will celebrate Shabbat in the sukkah with a potluck.
Just this morning, as we say goodbye to Sukkot and hello to Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, ECE, joined by their families and J staff, made their way around the Jill Rosenzweig Memorial Sculpture garden in a parade.
As we move into Shabbat after a busy, reflective, and joyful holiday season, we invite you to find a moment of stillness, savor it, and carry it into the week ahead. Shabbat Shalom.
Reminders, Resources + Learning
Each week we share resources for more learning:
This week’s resources:
- Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah 101 (My Jewish Learning)
- Moses’ Death, Moses’ Life by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
- The Awe of Torah Study by Cantor Evan Kent (Reformjudaism.org)
Last week’s resources:
Is there a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email Jenn Selco with requests.
