Written by Sammy Morhaim
I used to find the Shofar thing eery.
Depending on our upbringing or where we went to school, Rosh Hashanah means almost the same thing to us all.
Ask a Jew on the street or even a non-Jew what Rosh Hashanah is, and they’ll tell you it’s the Jewish New Year.
You may have read about the customs and the significance of the Jewish New Year. However, have you ever read or seen a YouTube clip about the significance of the shofar, the horn that is blown in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah?
I may be telling you something you already know. But, if not, I hope this touches you deeply.
You see, every one of us has this deep, real and sincere desire to be connected. Not just to be connected to others, but to ourselves and our Maker.
Some of us are better communicators than others, allowing for connections to happen more easily and freely. Others struggle and prefer to stay away from crowds and people altogether. But whatever type of communicators we are, we really do want to connect to people and our Creator in a meaningful way. It’s built in to our DNA.
In the Internet age, connectivity is everything. And there are those who say that there is connectivity but not necessarily communication. Deep communication.
The Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a powerful tool that represents that deep, sincere and real inner voice. It’s just a sound, but a sound that speaks the feelings of your soul. It’s the sound of longing to be close to what we know is true. So, if we focus and allow ourselves to connect with its aim and purpose, we feel truly connected.
There is a famous story called “The Call of the Shofar.” There is even an interactive version of it on Jigzi. (This particular game is aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 11.)
Jewish interactive aims to connect Jewish children to their Jewishness in a non-intimidating fashion, to learn and experience Jewish ideas and concepts in a bright and engaging way. We hope to reach that spark that wishes to connect and learn. To make sure that these children always feel part of the beautiful community that is the Jewish people.
Join with us together this Rosh Hashanah and give yourself and your children the head start they need in their Jewish life.
Sammy Morhaim is an innovative and energetic Jewish educator; his passion is in keeping Judaism relevant and he often lectures on the subject. He is an expert in combining educational pedagogy with technology and has developed many digital games for Jewish learning. He has had practical experience implementing technology in his classroom and in many other school settings. Sammy has two BA degrees, in Humanities and Education respectively, and he is a Qualified Teacher. Sammy studied in Yeshivot Ohr Sameach, Kerem B’Yavneh and Aish HaTorah.
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