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Shiurim
USCJ EC Staff Meeting Shiur - September 2006
It is the custom to sound the shofar daily after the morning service during the month of Elul, beginning the second day of Rosh Chodesh (the first day of Elul). We blow Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah. We do not blow the shofar the day before Rosh Hashanah to make a distinction between the voluntary blowing during Elul and the mandatory sounding on Rosh Hashanah. The reason the shofar is sounded during Elul is to move people to repentance.
- Code of Jewish Law (Kitzur Shulchan Arukh), Rabbi Solomon Ganzfried
Questions for Discussion:
- Rosh Chodesh Elul – the days marking the new moon and thus the new month -- are August 24 and 25 this year. The 24th actually is the last day of the Hebrew month of Av, and the 25th is the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. So August 25 is the second day of Rosh Chodesh, but the first day of Elul, and this is the day we begin to blow the shofar every morning except Shabbat. That continues until 2 days before Rosh Hashanah, so September 21 isthe last of these “voluntary” shofar blowings. You can hear the shofar sounds (Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah) www.torahtots.com/holidays/rosh/roshstr.htm. Who on your staff can blow shofar? How many different shofrot (plural of shofar) can you collect for the children to see over the next month?
- What different experiences have you had as you’ve listened to the shofar? What does the shofar make you think about? What does it make you feel?
- The Code of Jewish Law says that the shofar is sounded during this month to move people to repentance. The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a time of reflection and repentance, a time we seek to improve ourselves. Do we really need a month to wake up to this task of self-reflection and repentance? How can hearing the shofar help achieve this?
- It is likely that your school will begin with all or a great part of the month of Elul remaining. How do you think the children will react to hearing the shofar blown each morning at school? How might it help your children wake up during this time before Rosh Hashanah? How can you involve the families in this shofar blowing?
Printable version
Maxine Segal Handelman
Consultant for Early Childhood Education,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
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