Simchat Torah Memories!

By Marcus Loebenstein, David Schwartzbaum, Lucy Beckett, Robyn Altman

A joyful celebration of Simchat Torah!

Simchat Torah is a holiday built around returning. Each year, we reach the end of the Torah, celebrate its completion, and then immediately begin again with Bereisheet. In that same spirit, the holiday often invites us to return to our own memories, traditions, and the communities that helped shape our Jewish experiences.

For many people, those memories are especially vivid. Simchat Torah can bring back images of dancing through the sanctuary, carrying flags or Torahs, staying up late, eating special treats, and experiencing the excitement of a holiday that feels unlike any other. The traditions may differ from one synagogue or family to another, but the feelings of joy, connection, and celebration often stay with us for years.

We asked several Hebrew Helpers mentors to look back on the Simchat Torah celebrations they remember from growing up. Their stories reflect different communities and traditions, but they also show how small moments from childhood can become lasting parts of our Jewish identities.

Marcus Loebenstein

“Growing up as a Modern Orthodox Jew in San Diego, I always looked forward to celebrating Simchat Torah. The holiday had a unique rush and excitement that I felt other chagim (holidays) didn’t match. Whether it was parading with the Torah, staying up late, or eating way too many Torah candies made from Kit Kats with toothpicks through them, wrapped in a fruit roll-up, with Mike & Ikes on the ends to mimic a Torah, Simchat Torah was always a special time. I’m lucky I grew up celebrating it and that my community made it a big deal, because it sticks with me to this day.”

David Schwartzbaum

“Simchat Torah was always a very festive holiday for me growing up. We would go to our hometown shul (synagogue) every year and parade around with the Torahs. There was always one Hakafah (parade) when the kids would get to carry the Torahs and as the youngest in my family, I spent years watching my siblings do it until I finally was strong enough. My Bar Mitzvah Torah portion was Bereisheet, so once I became a bar mitzvah, I would chant the very beginning of the Torah at Simchat Torah for my temple.”

Lucy Beckett

“Every year the synagogue I grew up in hosted a huge party for Simchat Torah. We would essentially get the TLDR version of every Parashah and then dance around with the Torahs. My favorite part growing up was that we always had candy apples on Simchat Torah, but now (in addition to the candy apples), I absolutely love the moment when we get to look at the Torah in its entirety, unraveled as a community before we re-roll it for the first Torah portion. I have such fond memories of Simchat Torah, especially because my Bat Mitzvah took place just days after the holiday with the first portion, Bereisheet.”

Robyn Altman

“Growing up in a Conservative shul in the Philadelphia suburbs meant one thing for Simchat Torah: Flags with apples on top!! We all got a paper flag with a wooden dowel and someone from the sisterhood would help us skewer an apple and put it on the flag. We then marched around the whole sanctuary with our flags and apples. I don’t know if I ever learned why until I was an adult!”