What Is a Shofar?

A shofar is a ritual instrument, usually made from a ram’s horn. In ancient Jewish history, a shofar was blown to call soldiers to battle, to install a new king, even to destroy the walls of Jericho. On the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), Jews around the world head to synagogue to listen to the shofar being blown. The blasts of the shofar are meant to serve as a wake-up call to improve ourselves and the world around us.

Shofar Trivia:

• In the Bible, Rosh Hashanah is not called Rosh Hashanah. It’s called Yom Teruah, the day of blasting the shofar.
• The shofar is sounded 100 times during a traditional Rosh Hashanah service. And a long and loud shofar blast marks the end of Yom Kippur.

The Sounds of the Shofar

Although the blower must first take a big breath, the shofar sounds only when the air rushes out. This has a symbolic meaning for Rosh Hashanah: We turn inward to fix ourselves so that we can then burst out and contribute to the world.

You may not have a shofar in your home, but you can still practice making the sounds of the shofar. Use any instrument in your home — a piano, a guitar, even a kazoo — or just your voice. Call out the Hebrew words, then make the sounds!

 

When you hear the shofar blown in synagogue, you’ll recognize all the notes. Shanah tovah — Happy New Year!

How a Shofar is Made

Shofar Stories

Make a Paper Plate Shofar

Supplies

• Paper plate
• Stapler
• Masking tape

Instructions:

• Roll the paper plate into a cone and staple it in place. (You may need an adult’s help with this.)
• Bend the paper plate to look like a horn. Use masking tape to help hold the shape. Then wrap the whole shofar in masking tape to give it a horn-like look.
• Hold the shofar up to your mouth and make loud shofar noises, letting everyone around you know it’s time to pay attention and make the world better!

More

Turn a Noisemaker into a Shofar
What do the Sounds of the Shofar Mean?

September 1, 2024