Rosh Hashanah 2026: The sound of the shofar as a vessel for victory, struggle, and self-sacrifice

A rabbi's essay explores the shofar's meaning as a call to self-sacrifice and submission to a greater good, using a personal story about a synagogue president's kosher dilemma to illustrate the need for vision and communal responsibility during the High Holy Days.

In a Rosh Hashanah essay, Rabbi Stewart Weiss explores the shofar's deeper meaning as a call to self-sacrifice and submission to a greater good, echoing the biblical story of Abraham. He contrasts the High Holy Days with other Jewish holidays, noting their focus on a broad, year-long assessment of sin and forgiveness conveyed through sound. To illustrate his point, he shares a personal story from his time as a pulpit rabbi. Marlene, the president of the synagogue's ladies' auxiliary, was planning her daughter's bat mitzvah. Despite the rabbi's offer to subsidize the extra cost, she chose a non-kosher venue. Her brother Max, an Orthodox rabbi, refused to attend unless there was separate seating, leading Marlene to abandon the kosher plan entirely. The rabbi criticizes Max's lack of vision, arguing he failed to see the bigger picture and the positive influence he could have had on the community. The essay concludes that the shofar's sound is a deeply personal experience, representing victory, struggle, and ultimately, the call for self-sacrifice.