Torah is the Elixir of Jewish Life

Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald, Director of NJOP, is getting revved up for the final days of Sukkot which are known as Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

Simchat Torah is a relatively new festival that came about in the 14th century and took the elements of Shemini Atzeret and focused on the celebration of the completion and the rebeginning of the reading of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses).



The Torah is the elixir of Jewish life. It is impossible for the Jewish people to survive without the Torah. In fact, Jews say a blessing every morning that we be occupied in the study of Torah. Nowadays people often identify themselves by their occupation. We identify ourselves as people who are preoccupied with the study of Torah.