Simchat Torah at Perelman

Our school community came together to celebrate Simchat Torah, a celebration that marks the end of the annual cycle of reading the Torah and the start of a new cycle, with Torah reading and dancing, while also acknowledging the Hebrew anniversary of the October 7th attacks on Israel.

Fifth grade students chanted the ancient, timeless words from the Torah, embracing their roles as leaders in our school. Then, everyone — from faculty members to students and family members — danced together, while waving flags that students had decorated in class.

At one of our campuses, this celebration was combined with Generations Day – making our students’ experience especially meaningful thanks to the inclusion of grandparents and special friends.

To remember the devastating day that the Jewish people experienced just one year ago on Simchat Torah, Rabbi Chaim unveiled a new Torah cover honoring the victims of October 7th. On one side, the anemone, a flower that is seen throughout Israel’s south, emerges from a deep black background, while the other side bears an Israeli flag – symbolizing the Jewish people’s extraordinary capacity to balance darkness with light, sadness and pain with joy and pride.

Students listened to poems and memories of Makerspace teacher Ms. Sharone Trager-Hanoch’s nephew, who was tragically killed on October 7th, and painted rocks to decorate the tree recently planted in his memory.

Thank you to everyone in our community who joined in commemorating and celebrating this beautiful, bittersweet day at Perelman.

For more photos, please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PerelmanJewishDaySchool or our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/perelmanjewishdayschool/. Follow along for more events, updates, and behind the scenes!