Reply To: Ideas for a meaningful Simchas Torah for single girls

MA & The Babbler: I would like to thank you for your words. I had a very good Simchas Torah this year, and I think that it was in large part due to the things you wrote that helped me to have a different perspective.

I have had a very hard time the past several years on Simchas Torah, and I realized that it was because of something someone said to me years ago. He was explaining why girls don’t dance and he made it sound like girls have no shaychis to Simchas Torah or Limud Torah and like it is feminist for a girl to feel that she is part of things on Simchas Torah.

I knew it was the wrong way to feel, but didn’t know how to start. Anyhow, I guess something you wrote struck a chord, because this year, I realized that I am part of the Klal and I am part of Am Yisrael and I was able to have a different attititude.

I also realized that part of my issue is that I find it boring to watch the hakafos the whole time. I felt better about this when my friend’s husband mentioned that he thinks the hakafos go on for way too long and he wishes they were shorter. So I guess you don’t have to be female to be bored on Simchas Torah!

In any case, I was exhausted from staying up on Hoshana Raba night, so I only lasted in shul for about 5 minutes of hakafos so I didn’t have time to get bored. But I did find those 5 minutes to be very meaningful, thanks to the encouraging words in the CR! So Thank You!