Shofar Blowing Marks the Beginning of the Jewish Holiday Season

Jerusalem, 23 August, 2020 (TPS) -- Blowing of the shofar, an ancient instrument often made out of a ram’s horn, is usually associated with the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. However, it is the custom of many traditional Jews to blow the shofar every day during the month of Elul, which began on Friday. Elul is the month before Rosh Hashanah in the Jewish lunar calendar.

Many times, the shofar is blown in a synagogue, as was this morning (Sunday), pictured above in Kiryat Ono’s central synagogue. With the limitations on congregating due to Coronavirus, small groups of observant Jews are frequently gathering outdoors to pray – and now in Elul blowing their shofar outside as well.

The observance of this year’s Rosh Hashanah, which begins a month of major Jewish holidays including Yom Kippur and Sukkot, is a question mark in the minds of many Israelis this year. The fall Jewish holidays are widely celebrated by observant and non-observant Jews alike.

While observant Jews may include significant synagogue time, many Jews across the spectrum would normally celebrate the holidays with large family meals. It is yet to be determined what guidelines will be in place by the Israeli government and what limitations will be placed on indoor and outdoor gathers over the holidays.