The annual "Shofar in the Park" event is being redesigned this Rosh Hashanah to provide a safer Rosh Hashanah experience.
Organized by Ohr Torah Stone's Yachad program and the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization, the event will take place on September 7 in hundreds of outdoor locations around the country. Attendees usually number in the tens of thousands and they will be able to hear the traditional shofar blasts as well as singing and educational activities.
“The shofar is a prayer that is unshackled by words,” Ohr Torah Stone president and rosh yeshiva Rabbi Kenneth Brander said in a statement.
“Over the past year, we have seen just how much pain and fracture words can cause. But at the same time, words are often not powerful enough to articulate how what divides us is overpowered by that which unites us as a people and a civil society. The piercing sound of the shofar shatters the barriers between ourselves and God; between ourselves and our loved ones; between us and believers of other religions; and even between us and ourselves.”
“This year, more than ever, we need to develop the power of listening and hearing,” said Tzohar founder Rabbi David Stav.
“The significance of hearing the shofar blasts is to be attentive to what is happening around us, to our families, our communities and in the world at large and in so doing help us to become better people. Part of this individual and social responsibility is to acknowledge the crises which have defined our past year like the pandemic, the disaster in Meron, the violence in our society and the recent fires, alongside many other events that have challenged us all.”
Israel does not have new COVID-19 restrictions in place for Rosh Hashanah this year. However, there are still recommendations suggested by the Health Ministry. These include praying outside.
To find a location for a Shofar in the Park event, visit http://ots.org.il/shofarbapark.
Maayan Hoffman contributed to this report.