How Israelis Celebrate Simchat Torah

For many people who love Israel, the Jewish calendar is a map of longing. Each holiday brings with it a swell of meaning, prayers, and joy — but also a quiet ache of distance. Simchat Torah especially sharpens this feeling. It is perhaps the most exuberant celebration of the entire year, a holiday that overflows with joy. Yet from far away, it can leave supporters of Israel standing on the outside, wondering how to truly take part.

If you’ve ever caught a short video clip of the streets of Jerusalem on Simchat Torah, you’ve seen the energy. The camera sways with a sea of dancers. Men and women celebrate separately, each group linking arms in circles, Torah scrolls lifted high at the center of their circle. During Simchat Torah, Jews mark the completion of the annual cycle of reading the Torah and immediately begin again from the very beginning. It’s a celebration of never-ending connection to the words of the Bible — a moment of gratitude and renewed dedication. People sing traditional prayers, their voices rising joyfully through neighborhoods late into the night. It is joy in its purest form: uncontained, unrestrained, brimming over.

In Israel, this is not a quiet holiday tucked away inside synagogue walls. The streets themselves become sanctuaries. A stranger passing by is welcomed into the circle of dance. In towns, villages, and cities, the same scene repeats — Torah scrolls paraded through the streets, songs rising as though the land itself is singing along.

For many, this is the moment in the Jewish year when joy becomes visible, audible, and tangible. It is joy carried on shoulders, shouted in song, tasted in sweets given to children.

And yet, for those who watch from abroad, this abundance of joy can create an unexpected struggle. You rejoice in Israel’s strength. You love the people who celebrate. You pray for them, you sing the same holiday songs in your own community. But late at night, when the last prayer has been said, a question may linger: am I really part of it?

This is the unspoken challenge of distance. Love is real. Prayers are powerful. But still, many supporters feel like spectators. They watch Israel’s joy without knowing how to join it. They long for a way to take part in the celebration that is more than symbolic.

An Israeli artisan packs honey harvested from hives in the Galilee into a jar — that sweetness is part of their Simchat Torah too. A mother in Jerusalem, who embroidered a tallit cover, dances in circles with her family, her work tied to their joy. And when those products arrive in your home, they carry that joy across the miles. You do not merely receive goods. You receive a living connection.

And just as important: when you subscribe, your support flows back. It allows those families to thrive, to celebrate, to sustain their work. Your love becomes something they can taste, something that pays for groceries, rent, education, and dignity. The circle completes itself. What begins in Israel reaches you, and what you give returns to them. This is Simchat Torah in its truest sense — joy that moves in circles, joy without end.

This is why many subscribers describe opening their Lev Haolam box as more than an unboxing. It feels like a holiday moment. They lift the lid and breathe in the scent of soaps made in the desert, taste the flavors of a farmer’s kitchen, hold a piece of art rooted in faith. These are not distant tokens; they are living connections. They carry within them the resilience, creativity, and joy of families who dance with the Torah each year.

Simchat Torah teaches us the joy and commitment found in the ongoing embrace of the Torah. After reaching the end of the scroll, the community begins again at the very first words, symbolizing that loving the Bible, learning from it, and celebrating its teachings is a never-ending journey. For those who believe, this resonates deeply — a reminder that devotion and learning never truly end, and that joy is found in every cycle and every new beginning.

Joy is not meant to be contained. It must be shared, embodied, and celebrated together. And if you have ever felt powerless watching from the sidelines, this holiday holds out a lesson for you too. You can step into the circle. Not by traveling, not by watching videos, but by joining hands in a different way — through supporting, receiving, and sharing in the joy that Israel’s families create with their work.

When you do, the holiday changes. No longer do you watch from a distance. Instead, you participate. You taste the sweetness, you hold the beauty, you live in the circle. And the families in Israel feel your strength. Their celebration is supported by your partnership. Their dance is steadied by your care.

If you’ve ever longed for a real way to share in Israel’s joy, this is it. By joining our Lev Haolam membership, every month you receive a box filled with the creativity and faith of small family businesses — and your support helps them thrive.

Discover how to join today »

So this year, as Simchat Torah fills the streets of Israel with music and joy, do not let yourself remain at the edge. Remember the circle, endless and whole. Remember that joy grows when shared. And remember that through Lev Haolam, you have a way to step inside.

Because when Israel dances with the Torah, you can dance with them too — bringing joy into your home, and strength into theirs.