Dear JITC- How do we deal with blowing a shofar during a pandemic that spreads through viral droplets? Thank you, Ryan Dear Ryan- I’m glad you asked this question because it’s something that has concerned me literally for months. Unfortunately, the reason it concerned me was because, as you say, blowing a shofar spreads droplets […]
MTA Officials Ask Orthodox Jewish Transit Worker to Prove He’s Observing Rosh Hashanah MTA officials demanded an Orthodox Jewish transit worker prove he observes Rosh Hashanah for “a religious reason” in order to get the holiday off. Benjamin Schaeffer, a 22-year MTA transit worker, was initially denied permission to take off for the Jewish new […]
An Improbable Relic of Auschwitz: a Shofar That Defied the Nazis The daughter of a Holocaust survivor has brought forward a ram’s horn trumpet and her father’s account of the power of belief amid death. He described for his family how, despite the danger, this shofar, or ceremonial ram’s horn, was blown at the camp […]
Avinu, Malkeinu, one of the most famous High Holiday prayers, beseeches the Almighty – with whom we refer to in two ways – Father and King – to inscribe us in the Book of Life. Our Father our King inscribe us in the book of good life. Our Father our King inscribe us in the book of […]
Dear Jew in the City- What’s the meaning of blowing the shofar and why are there different shofar sounds? Sincerely, Jessica P. Dear Jessica- Very often, to answer a question, I’ll take a roundabout path to ultimately arrive at the answer. In this case, the response is much more straightforward. The shofar has a lot […]
Dear Jew in the City- I was raised to see Rosh Hashana as a terrifying time of year, that I would be judged by God in (aka Who Will Live and Who Will Die). I’ve obviously made a lot of mistakes, but I’ve met people who approach the holiday in a more positive way. What’s […]
