There are many meanings for the Hebrew word Simcha. Literally translated, the word means gladness, or joy. As a noun, the word means a festive occasion. In my family, you'll commonly hear the phrase, may we always be together at Simchas, which means we should always be together at happy events.
As Holocaust survivors, Danny's Bubbie (Yiddish for Grandma) Rose and Zadie (Yiddish for Grandpa) Jacob, always made it a priority to celebrate a Simcha. Just last night, Esther (G-d Bless her) talked about how she was the first girl to be Bat Mitzvah at her congregation in Des Moines. Her father Jacob, may he rest in peace, persuasively told the clergy that after what he witnessed in the concentration camps, it was imperative that he see his daughter recite from the Torah on the Bima reciting.
Danny's Bubbie shares the same enthusiasm for joyous occasions, and over the years has made a presence for herself either by attending or baking for an event. Spritz cookies, which are small sugar cookies made by squeezing cookie dough through a pastry gun; and honey cake, which she lovingly made in small loaves, were her signature recipes. She would deliver or ship these goodies to family all over the country to honor an event or to simply make an introduction. This was the case when she sent honey cakes to my parents and grandparents for Rosh Hashanah, after Danny and I got engaged.
Danny's Bubbie lives in an assistant living community in Kansas City, Mo., and struggles with dementia. So while she's unable able to attend, and she won't be able to make her sweets for the Kiddush, she will still be present. Here's how; following Andrew's Torah reading, the Torah scroll will be rolled back up and "dressed" in its covering for storage in the Ark. The Torah is then gently placed on a bench, for the remaining prayers until it's time for it to return to the Ark. Jordan has the job of sitting with the Torah during this portion of the service. In addition to the synogogues' Torah you will also see a small Torah, which Bubbie gave to Andrew and that we are placing along side the big one.
Andrew received this Torah when he was only a few years old, and it's joined us for many Simchat Torah celebrations (a holiday celebrating the point in the year when all of the Torah portions or chapters have been read). During Simchat Torah it's tradition to take out all of the Torahs in the Ark and sing songs and dance with them.
Seeing this little Torah up on the Bima not only celebrates a beautiful gift Bubbie gave Andrew, but also represents her presence. It symbolizes what both her and Zadie survived, as well as their desire that we should always be together for Simchas.
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