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Wake Up! Decide! Act!

The mixed joy of being part of a community that is meeting differently! The mixed joy of preparing for festivals!

Elul starts (this) Sunday evening 8th August 2021, and it can be a time to get ready for Rosh HaShana and beyond. Some blow the shofar everyday (often apart from on Shabbat), for all the reasons that shofars get blown.

I'm setting up an opt-in communal Elul Shofar Blowing - and I suspect you can make it work.

Choice 1) If you have access to a shofar, send a video of you blowing it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. If I have said enough, you could do it right now! More specific details below.

Choice 2) If you know someone else who can blow the shofar and it would be ok with them, please may I have their contact details so I can ask them. If I have said enough, they could do it and email it right now!

Choice 3) If you would like to get emails with (hopefully hopefully) links so that you can hear the shofar during Elul (because you know it would be meaningful for you or because you want to see what its like), tell me This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The rest is commentary.

Some questions and answers

Did you really me?: If you are someone who has been part of the community this year, Yes! If you have turned up and participated, that is you. If you would have if you could, then Yes!

Is there a suggested sequence? The minimum is not quite a note, more of a sound, through a shofar.

You could do:

Tekiah, Shevarim-Teruah, Tekiah Gadolah

(One long blast, three midsized blasts, nine short blasts, one long blast)

Its up to you.

Does it need a bracha (blessing)? This is a (Ashkenazi) custom rather than a mitzvah (it’s a minhag), so nope.  

I have access to a shofar – I don’t know how to blow it. If you can blow a raspberry I can teach you. Ask! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I won’t be good enough: Me neither. Its about joining in – and the more we do, the more we can make it easier for others to join in too.

Could you just do it all? Yes, I have before. It’s been a good thing to do. I like community. I miss being able to be together with you.

There isn’t enough time: I’m sorry I didn’t make it easier. I had a very good reason why I couldn’t ask before (that I can’t remember now). I suspect my choice is to ask you and risk look foolish, or to regret not being in touch.

If not now, when? Exactly!

What will the emails be like? I’m working on how to send you links so the emails are small. They would be timed to arrive for the morning of the Jewish date (during Elul apart from Shabbat). The video will be at the top so no scrolling is needed.

This is a learning curve, I hope I can also set up weekly emails for those of us who would like less emails and still want to participate – tell me!

Daily?!: Ah! That’s the kind of thing I learnt by doing – the same might be the case for you. The aim is for emails to be sent in the morning between Monday 9th August 2021/1st Elul 5781, and  Sunday 5th Sept 2021/28th Elul 5781 (there is a tradition not to on 29th of Elul so it doesn’t overlap with Rosh HaShana).

And after? I plan to ask you how it has been for you. It’s your choice if you answer, though more learning can happen if you do.

I have this thing that sort of fits, though it isn’t me blowing the shofar: artistic/creative/literal/abstract interpretations of Elul/Shofar themes are very welcome This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I have questions: Ask! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I would have, but you didn’t have a good enough pun: Join in anyway – it’ll be a blast!