CSK Blog

Jewish tradition teaches us that on Rosh Hashanah the Book of Life is written and the shofar is our spiritual alarm clock. It signifies a time to reflect on the past year, reminds us of the chance we have to be more present, more awake, more spiritual as we move forward into a new year and continue on the long and winding road that we call life.

Like most of you, each blow of the Shofar penetrates deep into my soul reminding me that no matter how much life may change, how different all of our experiences are, and how many struggles we face, the sounds of the shofar remains the same. As I prepare to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and enter the next chapter in the Book of Life, I hear the powerful call of the Shofar from my memories.

Tek’iah! I would always ask my mother to come to get me from the children’s program and let me hear the Shofar. The echoing blast was both jarring and comforting to me. I didn’t know why, but the Hebrew cries and the subsequent blasts felt like a call to action. Each year, each sound of the Shofar on the high holidays, showing me a path to follow - a purposeful direction, full of promise, pain, and divinity.

Shevarim! As a young adult, I was determined to go my own way. I questioned all the rules and rebelled against authority. During those years, I was impulsive and emotional, leading with my heart and not my head. My husband and I had a son very young. We weren’t even married. I had to grow up fast. We made the choice that I would work and my husband would stay home. While my life had taken on a direction I could never have imagined as that young girl listening to the cries of the Shofar, I still yearned to hear it. During those years, I attended high holiday services alone at a Chabad or Synagogue that was not my own - knowing that the sound of the Shofar would guide me to the next year, assure me that I am doing the best I can, and open the door of righteousness so I can glimpse inside to see where I fit.

Teruah! In my late 20’s, I discovered a shul unlike any other I’ve experienced - Shaarei Kodesh. It called to me and I attended Rosh Hashanah services. When it came time for the Shofar, the long and short melodies called forth a fire inside of me. Suddenly, I am not alone. There is a community of mystical souls that are here. Raising a Jewish family is not easy when the mother is the financial provider and also does not cook or clean (well). My children may not have special recipes to take with them or remember the smells of holidays dinners from their home but, I’ve learned that the high holidays are so much more than. Thanks to my congregation, my spiritual family, my village, I’ve realized that there are many ways to fit into the book of life. Anything is possible because Hashem is boundless and unlimited.

Tek’iah Gedolah! The great trumpeting sound, the longest blast on the shofar brings the high holidays to a close. I hear it and feel both a sense of joy and anticipation. It lets me know that while there are things that cannot change, some about ourselves and some because of present circumstances, there is plenty that can be accomplished in our daily lives through Teshuva, Torah Study, and Mitzvot. I renew my commitment to keeping Kosher, sanctifying the Sabbath, attending services and Torah classes, and paying more attention to the spiritual elements of Jewish living.

As the high holidays approach, I feel the tug of the Shofar calling and I realize that every change I make has a tangible butterfly effect for my family and my soul. Yet, the sound of the Shofar stays the same through generations - a cry out to Hashem from us mortals that reminds us of the path of righteousness. And, if you’re blessed with a supportive Congregation and community like ours, you’ll find comfort knowing that it is OK for that path to be divergent and ever-changing.