Dates
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 2026
Begins at sundown on October 2, 2026 and ends at nightfall on October 4, 2026.
Starts
October 2, 2026
at sundown
Ends
October 4, 2026
at nightfall
Length
2 days
work restricted
Candles, Jerusalem
17:43
on October 2, 2026
…
Israel or the diaspora?
This is the sharpest Israel-diaspora split of the year. In Israel the two are a single day. In the diaspora they are two separate days, with Simchat Torah on the second.
Shemini Atzeret follows straight after Sukkot, and Simchat Torah marks the completion and immediate restart of the annual Torah reading cycle, celebrated with dancing and hakafot.
Candle lighting for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 2026
Times for the evening it begins, October 2, 2026. Calculated from sunset: 18 minutes before in most communities, 20 in Israel, 40 in Jerusalem and 30 in Haifa.
Your city not here? All 106 cities.
On the ground
What happens in Israel
One day, and the dancing spills into the streets outside synagogues in the evening.
Every year on file
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in other years
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, so the Gregorian date moves by up to a month from year to year but stays in the same season.
The rest of 2026
Other Jewish holidays in 2026
8 of the 14 other dates on the 2026 calendar, in the order they fall. Each has its own page for 2026.
February 2, 2026
Tu BiShvat 2026
The new year of the trees. Tree planting in Israel and eating the fruits of the land.
March 3, 2026
Purim 2026
Celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia as told in the Book of Esther. Megillah readings, costumes, mishloach manot and festive meals.
April 2, 2026
Passover (Pesach) 2026
The festival of freedom, marking the Exodus from Egypt. Seder nights, matzah, and no chametz for eight days (seven in Israel).
April 14, 2026
Yom HaShoah 2026
Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel a two-minute siren brings the country to a standstill.
April 21, 2026
Yom HaZikaron 2026
Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, the day before Independence Day.
April 22, 2026
Yom HaAtzmaut 2026
Israel's Independence Day, marking the declaration of the state in 1948.
May 5, 2026
Lag BaOmer 2026
The 33rd day of the Omer count. Bonfires, weddings and celebrations at Mount Meron.
May 22, 2026
Shavuot 2026
The festival of receiving the Torah at Sinai. All-night learning and dairy foods. Two days in the diaspora, one in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
When is Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 2026?+
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah 2026 begins at sundown on October 2, 2026 and ends at nightfall on October 4, 2026. Jewish days start in the evening, so the first full day is October 3, 2026.
How long is Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?+
2 days. This is the sharpest Israel-diaspora split of the year. In Israel the two are a single day. In the diaspora they are two separate days, with Simchat Torah on the second.
Is Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah different in Israel?+
This is the sharpest Israel-diaspora split of the year. In Israel the two are a single day. In the diaspora they are two separate days, with Simchat Torah on the second.
What happens in Israel on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?+
One day, and the dancing spills into the streets outside synagogues in the evening.