When is Simchat Torah 2027?

Every year, the last stretch of Sukkot catches somebody off guard. You've spent a week eating dinner under the s'chach, and then the calendar turns into two holidays with similar-sounding names, a night of dancing that runs past the kids' bedtime, and the question we hear most often after the holiday: when can I take the sukkah down?

In 2027 the timing takes a little more planning than usual, because Shemini Atzeret falls on Shabbat. Below you'll find the dates for Israel and for everywhere else, a short guide to hakafot, and a simple timeline for packing up your sukkah.

When Is Simchat Torah 2027? The Short Answer

Outside Israel, Simchat Torah 2027 begins at sundown on Saturday, October 23, and ends at nightfall on Sunday, October 24. On the Hebrew calendar that's the 23rd of Tishrei, 5788.

It comes right after Shemini Atzeret, which begins at sundown on Friday, October 22, and runs through Shabbat, October 23. Together the two days close out the whole fall holiday season.

• Hoshana Rabbah (last day of Sukkot): Friday, October 22
• Shemini Atzeret: begins the evening of Friday, October 22, and ends at nightfall Saturday, October 23
• Simchat Torah (outside Israel): begins the evening of Saturday, October 23, and ends at nightfall Sunday, October 24
• In Israel: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall on the same day, from sundown Friday, October 22, to nightfall Saturday, October 23

Like every Jewish holiday, both days begin the evening before the date printed on a secular calendar. To see how these dates fit into the rest of the year, our printable 2027 Jewish holiday calendar lists everything from Tu BiShvat through Hanukkah.

Shemini Atzeret vs. Simchat Torah: What's the Difference?

People often treat these as one holiday, and in Israel they are one. They have separate origins, though.

Shemini Atzeret, the "Eighth Day of Assembly," comes from the Torah itself. It falls on the 22nd of Tishrei, right after the seven days of Sukkot. Tradition describes it as a quiet extra day, as if God asks us to stay one more day after the festival. It has no lulav and no special ritual object. It does include two important prayers: Geshem, the prayer for rain that begins the rainy season in the liturgy, and Yizkor, the memorial prayer for loved ones.

Simchat Torah, "Rejoicing in the Torah," developed later. It marks the day we read the last portion of Deuteronomy and start Genesis again right away, so the reading never stops. Outside Israel, where biblical holidays get an extra day, Simchat Torah takes the second day (23 Tishrei). In Israel, everything happens on the 22nd.

Why 2027 Is a Little Different

The 2027 calendar has a few features worth noting early:

• Hoshana Rabbah is Erev Shabbat. On Friday, October 22, you'll go to the long morning service with the hoshanot, and then you'll need everything ready for both Shabbat and Yom Tov before candle lighting that afternoon. Cook Shabbat meals ahead. You can't cook on Shabbat, even when it's also a holiday.
• Shemini Atzeret is Shabbat. Outside Israel, that means Yizkor is said on Shabbat morning, October 23, and Shabbat prayers are added to the holiday service.
• Simchat Torah starts on Saturday night. Light the holiday candles only after Shabbat ends, from a flame that's already burning. Kiddush that night includes a short Havdalah insertion. Most synagogues start evening hakafot a bit later than usual, so plan on a late night.
• In Israel, Simchat Torah falls on Shabbat. Many Israeli communities hold hakafot shniyot, a second round of outdoor dancing, often with music, on Saturday night, October 23, after the holiday ends.

Sukkot also starts on Shabbat this year, so the first time you'll shake the lulav is Sunday, October 17. Our guide to Sukkot 2027 covers the full week day by day.

What Are Hakafot?

Hakafot ("circuits") are the main event of Simchat Torah. All the Torah scrolls come out of the ark, and the congregation carries them around the bimah in seven circuits, singing and dancing. The Torah is read at night on this holiday, which almost never happens, and hakafot take place both that evening and the next morning.

Some things that surprise first-timers:

• It's loud, and that's the idea. Each circuit opens with a short verse, followed by as much dancing as the room can hold. Different people get turns holding the scrolls.
• Kids are at the center. Children often wave flags, get candy, and ride on shoulders. In the morning there's a special aliyah called Kol HaNe'arim for all the children, who stand together under a large tallit.
• Everyone gets an aliyah. In many synagogues, the final portion is read again and again until every adult who wants an aliyah has had one.
• Two honorees. The Chatan Torah is called up for the last verses of Deuteronomy, and the Chatan Bereishit is called up for the opening of Genesis. Many congregations now honor a Kallat Torah and Kallat Bereishit as well.

If you're new to it, just come. You don't have to know the words or the steps. Holding a Torah scroll for one circuit is one of the most moving experiences of the Jewish year.

Do You Eat in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeret?

This depends on where you live and on your family's custom.

• In Israel: No. Sukkot ends after Hoshana Rabbah, and all meals on Shemini Atzeret are eaten indoors.
• Outside Israel: Many communities eat in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeret without saying the blessing leishev basukkah. Some families eat only certain meals there, and some don't eat there at all. Follow your community's practice or ask your rabbi.
• On Simchat Torah: Everyone eats indoors.

Many Ashkenazi families say a short farewell prayer at their last meal in the sukkah. It asks that we merit to sit in the sukkah again next year. In 2027, outside Israel, that meal is usually on Shabbat afternoon, October 23. It's a nice way to end the holiday before the move indoors.

When Can You Take Your Sukkah Down?

The rule is simple: don't take down the sukkah, or remove the s'chach or decorations, until the holiday is completely over. On Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, the sukkah and everything hanging in it are muktzeh, which means they're set aside and can't be used or moved. That applies even if you've moved your meals indoors.

For 2027, that means:

• Outside Israel: after nightfall on Sunday, October 24. In practice, most families start on Monday, October 25, or the following weekend.
• In Israel: after nightfall on Saturday, October 23.

Many families also have a custom to start next year's sukkah right after Yom Kippur, so the mitzvah goes from one year into the next. Taking it down carefully now makes that much easier. Put the date on your calendar along with Sukkot dates for future years. Next year's holiday comes quickly. In 2028, Sukkot falls about three weeks earlier.

Packing Up: A Quick Takedown Checklist

Taking down a sukkah goes quickly, especially with an extra pair of hands. Here's an order that works well:

1. Photograph the setup. Before you start, snap a few photos of the corners and wall connections. They'll make next year's setup quick and easy.
2. Take down decorations first. Wrap anything fragile, and toss the paper chains the kids won't miss.
3. Remove the s'chach. Roll the s'chach mats instead of folding them. Rolled mats keep their shape and last for years.
4. Take down the walls. Unfasten the wall panels and fold them neatly. A dry day is the best time to pack up, so everything goes into storage ready for next year.
5. Disassemble the frame. Start with the top rails, then the uprights. Bag and label the hardware, and count connectors and poles as you go. If anything is missing, order a replacement now, before the September rush.
6. Store it somewhere dry and off the floor. A garage shelf or basement corner works well, especially if everything is in a single labeled bag.

Make Next Year's Setup Easy

The week after the holiday is a great time to plan for next year, while this year's setup is still fresh in your mind. The Sukkah Project carries heavy-duty storage bags, replacement parts, and LED sukkah lights for most kits. If you're ready to upgrade, our guide to the best sukkah kits for beginners is a good place to start. Questions? Call us at 844-4-SUKKOT (844-478-5568). We've been helping families build sukkahs for 30 years.

Chag sameach, and enjoy the dancing.