The more we get together... the happier we'll be!

Sometimes I amaze my self by my "finds"... like this shofar from the studio of Adam Kaser of Delaware, OH. Adam is another glass artist, and this was the only shofar I found on his website...just beautiful. The story below was a bit of a find as well... it is from a website called Multicultural Education Through Miniatures...

Have a peaceful Yom Kippur and an easy fast. See you next week!


My name is Gerson and I am 12 years old. My father is the cantor of our synagogue in New York City. He leads the singing of the Jewish prayers during the religious services. He has a booming voice, and people are enchanted by the quality of his voice when he sings the Hebrew chants.

The Jewish calendar is quite different than the calendar that most people follow. It begins thousands of years ago when God handed Moses the Ten Commandments. I learn a lot about Jewish history and traditions at my Hebrew school. I am preparing for my bar mitzvah at the age of 13. At that time, I will be considered a man.

I heard my mother tell my father that dinner was ready. My father was in his study, and I could hear him practicing on the shofar. The shofar is a very important part of this high holy holiday. The shofar, which is blown like a trumpet, comes from the horns of kosher grazing animals. The horns must not have any holes. They can't be painted in color, but they can be carved with an artistic design. The shofar is a musical instrument that has not changed in 5000 years. The sound of the shofar is supposed to call to mind the creation of the world as well as the start of the Jewish New Year. It is said to have been sounded during the greatest event in all of Jewish history, the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai. It was also blown when a war began or the coming of peace.

As we all sat down to dinner, my mother sliced the challah, which is a sweet golden eggy bread. My sister served us chopped liver, then came the chicken soup with a large matzoh ball (a dumpling). After the soup, we had the boiled kosher chicken along with mashed potatoes and carrots. Each glass was filled with clear, bubbly seltzer water, which came from a bluish tinted squirt bottle. There was no milk or butter on the table because kosher Jews are not allowed to mix meat and dairy products. My father and I wore skull caps (or yarmulkes) on our heads at all meals.

The time was now 6:30 and we left to go to the synagogue. My father asked me to carry the shofar, which was a great privilege. I cradled it in my arms, guarding it as if it was a valuable treasure. We all walked to the temple since our religion does not allow us to ride in any sort of vehicle on holidays. In fact, Jewish people are not allowed to work on any Jewish holiday.

About three blocks from the synagogue I stopped in front of our neighborhood toy store and peered into the window. I did not notice when two boys stood next to me. Without warning, one of the boys grabbed the shofar and began running. The other boy pushed me to the ground and took off as well. I was in shock.

I looked for my family, but by they were out of sight. I looked in the direction the two boys were running. I got up and began running after them. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me and I watched them enter a very rundown old tenement. When I reached the entrance, I searched for them in the dark hallway, but saw nothing.

I looked up and saw a light turn on. I counted the stories, and saw that it came from a third floor apartment. Did I dare confront those two boys by myself? Should I call for the janitor and ask him to help me? Should I look for a cop? By this time I was in a panic and started to cry. My family would be wondering where I was. The start of the holiest day of the year was approaching, and worst of all, my father had no shofar to blow. I stood there shaking with fear when I felt a tap on my shoulder. As I spun around, there standing behind me, was a priest from the neighborhood Catholic church. He noticed how distraught I was and asked me what the problem was.

After telling him my story, we both entered the building and walked up the three flights of stairs. I stood behind the priest as he knocked on the door. A gruff and unfriendly voice asked who was knocking.

When the priest mentioned his name, the door opened immediately. Standing there was a large unshaven man. He smiled at the priest meekly and asked what he wanted. When the priest told him the story of the stolen shofar, the big man yelled out some angry words and the two boys came walking towards us. In one of the boy's hands was the shofar. My eyes searched the shofar for damages, but I saw none. My worried face relaxed, and as the priest handed me the shofar I took his hands and shook it gratefully.

He then said, ''I know how important this shofar is to your religion and I know that as your father blows this horn bringing in your new year, he will be praying for a better and more peaceful world."

I ran down the stairs and headed towards the temple. If I hurried, the shofar would be there in time to welcome the new year!

Blowing for a Miracle

The Shofar from Shuki Freiman is to be sounded in the synagogue not simply displayed at home. This silver shofar is cut out and engraved with the Hebrew verse: "Sound the shofar at the new moon, at the full moon on our festival."
The drash below is from InnerNet:

"Why do we blow [the shofar] on Rosh Hashanah?" the Talmud asks. In answer, the Talmud exclaims indignantly, "Why do we blow? - the Torah has told us to blow!"

What better reason, what further rationale do we need? The Torah clearly states (Numbers 29:1): "In the seventh month, on [day] one of the month, a day of [shofar] blowing shall it be unto you." Indeed, according to Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, the primary intent upon which one should concentrate during the sounding of the shofar is to fulfill the will of the Creator.

That Israel needs no rationale other than "the Torah has told us to blow," is illustrated with a story told about the renowned chassidic Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:

One year Rabbi Levi Yitzchak spent a long time in search of a man who would be worthy of blowing the shofar in his synagogue. Rosh Hashanah was fast approaching, and though many righteous folk sought the privilege, vying with each other in demonstrating their expertise in the mystical kabbalistic secrets associated with the shofar, none of them were to his taste.

One day a new applicant came along, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak asked him on what deep mysteries he meditated while he was performing the awesome mitzvah.

"Rabbi," said the newcomer, "I'm only a simple Jew. I don't understand too much about the hidden things of the Torah. But I have four daughters of marriageable age, and when I blow the shofar, this is what I have in mind: 'Master of the universe! Right now I am carrying out Your will. I'm doing Your mitzvah and blowing the shofar. Now supposing You, too, do what I want, and help me marry off my daugters.'"

"My friend," said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, "you will blow the shofar in my synagogue!"

The meaning of Teshuva...

The shofar from the Studio of Michael Gore at the Anfora Furnace of Murano, Italy are not Kosher given they are made from glass and not an animal horn. They are created for their beauty and symbolism. What a wonderful way to tell those who enter your home that you are proud to be a Jew.
I discovered this blog Everyone Needs Therapy: The Shofar right as I was completing my posts for the next week (which means I am actually writing this blog on September 12th. Did you actually think I rose at dawn five days per week to write this thing?) I wish I had found it earlier. But none the less, I will share it with you.





In the bible it's all about big announcements, calls for war, and calls for repentance. Little stuff.

Jews designate an entire month to repentance, and I suppose it's something along the lines of Lent. All I can say on that is that no matter what the similarities, when it comes to most traditions, for better or worse, we've usually started them

The month of Elul (we're already in it a couple of weeks) is the Jewish month of consideration.

It is said that one of our holier rabbis would think about what he had done wrong the night before, before he ate breakfast.

Then before lunch, he considered what he'd done wrong between breakfast and lunch.

Then before he ate dinner, he went over what he had done between lunch and dinner. He didn't eat a morsel of food until he looked himself directly in the mirror and fixed his make-up.

These were the first few paragraphs of THE SHOFAR... hit the link above for the complete post.

Ki Tavo: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Moses instructs the people of Israel: When you enter the land that G-d is giving to you as your eternal heritage, and you settle it and cultivate it, bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) of your orchard to the Holy Temple, and declare your gratitude for all that G-d has done for you.

Our Parshah also includes the laws of the tithes given to the Levites and to the poor, and detailed instructions on how to proclaim the blessings and the curses on Mount Grizzim and Mount Ebal -- as discussed in the beginning of the Parshah of Re'ei. Moses reminds the people that they are G-d's chosen people, and that they, in turn, have chosen G-d.

The latter part of Ki Tavo consists of the Tochachah ("Rebuke"). After listing the blessings with which G-d will reward the people when they follow the laws of the Torah, Moses gives a long, harsh account of the bad things -- illness, famine, poverty and exile -- that shall befall them if they abandon G-d's commandments.

Moses concludes by telling the people that only today, forty years after their birth as a people, have they attained "a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear."

This is a week for hearing... We want G'd to hear that we are truly repentant, our friends to hear that we love them, our souls to hear that change is possible. And we will end the week by hearing the sound of the Shofar... What beautiful sounds...

I have not published much in the way of digital art... but I found an artist who seems to put her heart into her work. Dzeni is a tribe member down under, in Aukland, New Zealand. Thanks Dzeni, for bring beauty to our eyes as well!
For some basic information on the shofar... which we will talk about all week... check out these two links from Aish.com .