375 Aberdeen Ave., Hamilton, ON L8P 2R7 | 905-522-1351 | office@bethjacobsynagogue.ca

Simchat Torah 5781

Simchat Torah 5781

Regretfully, for technological reasons beyond our control, our services did not broadcast as they should have during the holiday.
Thankfully, the celebration of Simchat Torah continues even after the day ends.
We provide you with our video here and hope that you will watch it with your families as soon as it is convenient!
But don’t just watch it — get up and dance with us! Take photos of yourselves dancing with us and we will share them with the rest of your Beth Jacob friends!

Did you miss saying Yizkor with us on Shemini Atzeret?

Click here to say Yizkor with Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli and Cantor Beny Maissner.

The text can be downloaded here.


Click once on the video player and press F to make it full-screen.
Pressing F again will return it to its original small size.
Make sure you’re watching in HD1080!

These services are offered free of charge. If you are able to contribute, we would be very grateful. (But no donations on Shabbat or Chag, please!)
Thank you for supporting our efforts to provide Conservative Jewish engagement in Hamilton.


This year’s Simchat Torah honourees:

Jacques & Clareta Schoenberg
Chatan & Kallat Torah (completing the Torah)

Jacques and Clareta Schoenberg became involved with Beth Jacob Synagogue almost three decades ago. They are committed members and feel very much at home here. All special family milestones in their lives have been celebrated at Beth Jacob: their son’s Pidyon HaBen, and the Bar & Bat Mitzvahs of their three children.

Throughout the years they have involved themselves in many different aspects of Beth Jacob life and supported many events, attending minyan, decorating the sukkah with their children, Hebrew School parent volunteering, taking on the role of USY liaison when their children were teenagers, and more recently Jacques’ most successful fundraising efforts for the yearly ‘Big Event,’ the Lottery Night, and Clareta’s term serving on the Board.

Jacques and Clareta thank Beth Jacob Synagogue for giving them a place to grow and educate their family within Jewish values and traditions. They feel very honoured to have been chosen as Chatan & Kallat Torah for 5781 and hope that we may all grow from strength to strength.


Abigail Cukier
Kallat Bereshit (beginning the Torah)

Abigail grew up in Richmond Hill. She and her husband, Howard, moved to Stoney Creek in 2002 and were warmly welcomed by the Beth Jacob community.

Abigail earned her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Ryerson University and is a freelance writer and editor. Abigail and Howard have two children, Evan and Hannah. Abigail is on the Beth Jacob Board of Directors and serves as chair of the Education Committee.

Abigail is honoured to be Kallat Bereshit.