Dear all,
Years ago, on a Temple Akiba Israel trip, I purchased a funky shofar from a vendor in the mystical town of Tzvat. To this day, I believe that it must have come from a unicorn—it certainly doesn’t resemble the typical shofar you see every Holy Day season.
The vendor assured me it is, in fact, kosher. And although a few community members have told me they’d prefer to hear a “real” shofar, I still bring this one out at least once each year.
Why?
Because sometimes, in order to truly wake up, we need something extraordinary to stir our hearts.
- The call of the shofar reminds us that life is finite.
- The sight of the shofar lifts our vision toward the infinite.
- The sound of the shofar pushes us to reimagine our lives.
- The nearness of the shofar grounds us fully in the present.
What does it take to awaken us? Often, it is when our senses and emotions weave together into a unique moment in time—one that lifts our souls beyond time and space.
Ron, Maya, and Eli join me in wishing you and your families a year of sweetness, health, and deep joy.
Shanah Tova!
Rabbi Zach Shapiro
