Most of the world will remember October 7 as the date on which Gazans perpetrated the highest one-day loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. For Jews, that October 7, 2023 coincided with Simchat Torah (also known as Shemini Atzeret) the last of the festivals that occur in a three-week chunk of time often referred to as the High Holy Days. Today was Simchat Torah, so three years according to the Jewish calendar since that terrible day.

The celebrations in the synagogue I attend were as joyous as ever, even though our Rabbi marked the start by mentioning the soldiers, members of our community, who died on that day or in the war. I cannot begin to feel the pain in the families who suffered those losses. I can, however, feel a slight unease at the perpetual link between one of our happy — some might say over the top happy — holy days and the October 7 tragedy. That link may last forever. We will never forget the tragedy nor the victims. They will be in our hearts forever. I just wonder if that link is a sign, a not-so-subtle message about something else that we have yet to fully absorb. I suppose that every Simchat Torah we will get the opportunity to try again and unravel the mystery.

As you may have guessed, Simchat Torah seems to have put me into a maudlin mood.