Israel – Over 100 shofar blowers gathered today at a first-of-its-kind and somewhat ear-splitting conference for men who desperately needed to practice and receive their colleagues’ encouragement before the moment of truth – Sunday, when they will put the traditional ram’s horn to their lips and coax from it the plaintive calls that form one of the most moving moments of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.
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The shofar blowers had another special reason to gather: They are graduates of the first shofar-blowing course ever organized by the Chief Rabbinate.
The course included a meticulous study of the laws pertaining to the shofar and a lesson by Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, as well as several useful tips from experienced blowers of the ceremonial horn.
sounds noisy!!!!!
It takes real skills to be an outstanding baal tikiah. We have been gebenched to have the same tzadkik blowing for our shul for 38 years and he is still going strong. This year for the first time, we will have a woman blowing shofar AFTER davening based on a desire from the women to become more involved in the service. Its somewhat controversial but our rav has given his ok.
would have like more details about the dinim of tekias shofar and also the location of number one’s shul…
We should find more kosher jazz players to blow the shofar in their shuls. Trumpet players have the same skills needed to blow the shofar.
The shofar is about the intent of the person who blows it, not about embouchure. A women cannot blow, even if for women only, because she cannot make a beracha on the blowing, as she is not obligated to. Just as a women who puts on tefilin lehavdil would not make a blessing.
#5 LOL!!!
This article doesn’t say anything about these fine men having been taught anything about the kavono (Intention, what to have in mind) while blowing the shofar.
In the Siddur Seder tfilos mikol hashana, according to the Nusach of the AriZa”l page 488 from Kehot Publication society you will find them.
The brochos for the new year depend in great measure on the way this Mitzvah (of blowing the shofar) is done according to Kabbalah as explain in Chassidus, even thought this year since the first day is on Shabbos, the same way that the kdusha (holiness) of Shabbos comes by itself (mekadsha ve Kaima) the Brochos also the first day come by themselves without the need of blowing the shofar, but for what blowing of the shofar is needed on the 2nd day or every year both days you better go to a shul that the baal Tokeah knows the kavonos besides knowing how to blow correctly according to Halacha.
ksiva vachasimo tovah leshanah tova umesukah
My goodness! Even the stodgy Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra admitted women to its ranks more than a decade ago (after much fuss, and the departure of maybe-Nazi-sympathizer conductor Herbert von Karajan), and here are people who don’t think a woman can have the qualifications to sound the shofar for her congregation.
Discrimination against women has one ultimate result: It drives them away, and with them, likely, their families.