Rosh Hashanah 2026: The Jewish people must answer the shofar’s call to unity - opinion

As Rosh Hashanah 5787 approaches, the chair of the Jewish Federations of North America reflects on the themes of the High Holidays—repentance, prayer, and charity—and draws a parallel to the unity of the Jewish people. He recounts a year marked by rising antisemitism and uncertainty, but emphasizes the strength found in communal solidarity, citing examples of Jewish communities in Detroit, Montreal, and Washington coming together to support one another. The piece calls for unity not as the absence of disagreement, but as the recognition of a shared covenant and destiny.

Gary Torgow, chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, writes an opinion piece ahead of Rosh Hashanah 5787 (September 2026). He reflects on the Unetaneh Tokef prayer, which confronts the uncertainty of life, and the three sounds of the shofar—tekiah, shevarim, teruah—as a call to communal awakening. Torgow describes a year marked by rising antisemitism on campuses, in government, and on streets, and notes that some allies remained silent. However, he emphasizes the strength of Jewish unity, citing specific examples: 440 trained volunteers and a federation command center in Montreal securing Jewish institutions; over 400 community leaders from 41 states advocating on Capitol Hill; North American federation support for Israeli communities rebuilding since October 7; and the Detroit community rallying around Temple Israel during a dark moment. He argues that unity is not the absence of disagreement but the recognition that what binds the Jewish people together is greater than what divides them, drawing on the image of standing at Mount Sinai k'ish echad b'lev echad—as one person with one heart.