Simchat Torah 2025: Date, Hakafot Dancing & Torah Reading
Festival guide · 2025
Simchat Torah 2025 falls on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Dates are astronomical estimates — confirm with your local religious authority.
Simchat Torah (שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה — Rejoicing of the Torah) marks the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and its immediate restart. It falls on 23 Tishrei — the day after Shemini Atzeret in the Diaspora, combined with it in Israel.
It is one of the most joyful nights in the Jewish year: Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried in seven circuits (hakafot) around the synagogue while the congregation dances and sings.
When is Simchat Torah 2025?
Simchat Torah 2025 falls on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Dates are based on astronomical calculations and may vary by ±1 day — always confirm with your local religious authority.
| Date | Tuesday, October 14, 2025 |
Simchat Torah 2025: Planning & Key Facts
In 2025, Simchat Torah lands midweek — observers planning gatherings may want to bridge a day toward the weekend. The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar with periodic leap months, so the Gregorian date shifts year to year within about a month. This date is confirmed — it has already passed.
| Year | Date | Shift vs. prior year |
|---|---|---|
| Simchat Torah 2024 | Friday, October 25, 2024 | — |
| Simchat Torah 2025 | Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | 354 days later |
| Simchat Torah 2026 | Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 355 days later |
Other Jewish observances near Simchat Torah 2025:
- Rosh Hashanah — Tuesday, September 23, 2025 · Jewish New Year 5786
- Yom Kippur — Thursday, October 2, 2025 · Day of Atonement — fasting
- Sukkot — Tuesday, October 7, 2025 · Festival of Tabernacles
Traditions & Observance
Hakafot — Seven Circuits with the Torah
In hakafot, all Torah scrolls are removed from the ark and carried by congregants who take turns holding them. The dancing is accompanied by singing, clapping, and general exuberance — often spilling into the street. Children wave flags topped with apples and candles.
Completing and Restarting the Torah
The final portion of Deuteronomy is read by the Chatan Torah (Bridegroom of the Torah). Immediately after, the Chatan Bereishit reads the opening verses of Genesis — the cycle restarts without pause. This continuity symbolises that Torah study is endless and unbroken.
Kol HaNe'arim — All the Children
On Simchat Torah morning, all children are called up together under a tallit for a special aliyah. This Kol HaNe'arim blessing is one of the most beloved moments of the holiday, emphasising every child's connection to the Torah.
Second Hakafot in Israel
In Israel, many communities hold Hakafot Shniyot (second hakafot) on the night after Simchat Torah — large outdoor celebrations with live music and dancing in public squares, extending the joy of the holiday into the broader community.
What is the difference between Simchat Torah in Israel and the Diaspora?
In Israel, Simchat Torah is combined with Shemini Atzeret on 22 Tishrei — a single day that serves as both the solemn conclusion of the Sukkot season and the joyful Torah celebration. In the Diaspora, Shemini Atzeret falls on 22 Tishrei and Simchat Torah on 23 Tishrei — two separate days. This means Diaspora communities celebrate Simchat Torah a day later than Israelis. The joy of hakafot and Torah completion, however, belongs equally to both traditions.
Who are the Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereishit?
Two honourees receive the most distinguished Torah aliyot on Simchat Torah. The Chatan Torah (Bridegroom of the Torah) reads the final portion of the Torah — the closing verses of Deuteronomy, describing the death of Moses. Immediately after, the Chatan Bereishit (Bridegroom of Genesis) reads the opening verses of the Torah, beginning with Bereishit (In the beginning). The seamless transition from the end to the beginning symbolises that Torah study is unending. These honours are among the most coveted in the synagogue and are often allocated to major donors or community leaders.
Other Years
In Israel, Simchat Torah is combined with Shemini Atzeret on 22 Tishrei. In the Diaspora it falls on 23 Tishrei. Confirm with your local synagogue.