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From
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/auxv4u2" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/auxv4u2</a><br><br>
<font size=3>I thought it would be interesting to post my rendering of
the vote about whether or not to retain <i>Simchat Torah </i>in the
Reform Synod at Frankfurt in 1845.<br><br>
The background is, of course, that the Reform rabbis were trying to
implement liturgical reforms, to modernize the services, to both attract
people and avoid repelling them, and do it in a way that was consistent
both in Reform theory and in practice. So in this, the second of three
such assemblies, held in Frankfurt A.M.[1] between July 15 and 28,
1845, many questions were discussed. <br><br>
As part of the process of reforming, modernizing and streamlining
services, the assembly had approved of implementing a Triennial cycle of
reading the Torah. This would of course have the effect of shortening the
Torah reading by one third which is something that people who look
forward to <i>Parshat Nitzavim</i> can understand. Old sources showed
that in ge'onic times (and later) the Torah was read and completed every
three years, while our custom of reading it in one year, and celebrating
<i>Simchat Torah</i> on the second day of <i>Shemini Atzeret </i>arose in
Babylonia. The question therefore was, should <i>Simchat Torah </i>be
celebrated only every three years? Or annually? Or at all? Here is what
they said:<br><br>
See the above URL for more. YL</font></body>
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