Posted on October 2, 2026 by Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
Dear friends,
Moadim l’simcha! The special greeting we get to use just twice a year on Chol HaMo-eid Sukkot and Pesach (the middle, non-festival days of our week long celebrations) is a favorite. It means: “These special days are for joy!” And the traditional response? “Chagim uzmanim l’sason,” which basically means: “Yeah, holidays and times like this are indeed for joy!”
Tonight, we lean all the way into our joy, with a holiday named for joy: Simchat Torah, literally “The Joy of Torah.” At Shabbat services tonight we will conclude our Torah reading cycle and begin it again, and we will dance with our Torah scrolls with a full-band compliment (I’m even getting behind the drumset!). I spoke at Erev Rosh Hashanah services about the importance of getting up close and personal with the holy–tonight is your chance!
The last word of the Torah is Yisrael, which ends with a Lamed. The first word of the Torah is B’reishit, which begins with a Bet. Our tradition tells us that this is no accident. Lamed-Bet spells a Hebrew word: Lev, or heart. The Torah is the heart of our People, the story that has kept us together for thousands of years. Torah opens our hearts and makes it easier to open our hearts to others. It is that heart-forward way of living Jewishly that we so passionately bring to life at TBE, and it is heart-forward Jewish living that will be our goal throughout 5787.
Come to services tonight with an open heart and your dancing shoes. Then, come back again next week, as we are joined by the amazing Elana Arian for an amazing, heart-opening new Shabbat modality! We’ll have our pre-neg in the Lobby at 6:30 p.m., communal candle-lighting at 6:55 p.m., services at 7:00 p.m., and a catered Kiddush and oneg Shabbat in the Large Social Hall afterward. It’s just the first of what will, monthly, be an incredible, and very special, Shabbat evening. Come back again Saturday night for Havdalah and Elana’s concert–she is just a top-flight Jewish musician and is more than worth your $18 donation. That suggested donation goes directly toward fueling more special Shabbatot like this one.
With great joy,
Rabbi Noah Diamondstein