International Day of Shofar Study is an opportunity for shofarists to take their shofar blowing to a higher level.
For over 3,000 years, shofar has given voice to the prayers of the Jewish People, called us together, set us in motion, and marked our darkest and happiest occasions. Sounding shofar on Rosh Hashanah – the start of the Jewish New Year, is a great honor and responsibility, as it makes possible the mitzvah of hearing shofar.
Our sages teach that shofar blowing is a skill, and like other skills, practice and study are necessary preparations. On the Day of Shofar Study, events will take place in communities around the world to teach, study, and celebrate shofar. We envision this as part of an effort to build Shofar Corps – a network of talented and committed shofar blowers that are willing to be of service to their communities, to learn from each other, and to share our passion for shofar.
International Shofar Study Day begins on the evening of Monday, August 29 and continues through Wednesday, August 31, 2011. This coincides with the first day of Elul, the Hebrew month just before Rosh Hashanah. Elul is a time of spiritual, moral and ethical preparation for the New Year, and many Jews blow shofar throughout the month to help them awaken to the potential of the High Holy Days. You can think of International Day of Shofar Study as “Opening Day of Shofar Season.”
Please read the other pages in this website for additional information. And subscribe to the site or check back frequently as we update it with more exciting plans.
Kol Tov
Michael Chusid, Art Finkle, Maurice Kamins, and Cantor Daniel Pincus
