Today is Simchat Torah and I'd like to wish everyone a Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday).

Last night I got home from work exhausted still trying to recover after a two day business trip from which I didn't get home until about midnight Tuesday night. I was kind of hoping my parents or my wife would take our four year old daughter to services for the Simchat Torah festivities in our synagogue. Unfortunately for me, my wife had a rough day with both kids and my mom was determined to drag me out because the little one had to go - how could we not take her! There'd be singing and dancing and food...Oh, OK I said preparing to fall asleep while everyone else was enjoying.

As the torahs were brought down to the congregation and the singing and dancing started, I started to think of those people who were killed that very evening in Egypt - targeted because they were Israelis/Jews. In fact, I would bet that any Israeli who would go to Egypt to celebrate a Jewish holiday that for the Orthodox entails going to synagogue, not using electricity etc., is not in favor of the occupation.

That being said, I asked myself what right did I have not to be ecstatic that I was safe, my family was with me and that we are all (thank G-d) healthy. And even though we were inside our synagogue, the door to the sanctuary was open which can be seen from the street through the glass doors at the entrance to the synagogue. I became determined to show that I am not only happy, I am proud to be Jewish and proud of my religion and what it stands for.

So I took a shot of vodka, grabbed a torah and danced and sang as joyfully and as loudly as I could, singing a song that has been echoed throughout the generations by my people even though there have always been those out to destroy us - millions of people who would rather see my family and I dead than alive because of who we are - Am Yisrael Chai! I sang over and over. The People of Israel Live!