Thursday, September 28, 2017
Chabad Naples holds ‘shofar factory’ before Yom Kippur
When Chabad of Naples brought in a visiting rabbi to conduct a "shofar factory" at their campus in the Moorings, he had some serious information to impart.
The shofar, the ram's horn turned into a musical instrument to be blown for Jewish ceremonies including Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, is an ancient tradition going back thousands of years.
But Rabbi Aron Rabin knew his audience. He was speaking to four dozen children, plus a few mothers and fathers, and he had to hold their attention. So he laid on the shtick with the abandon of a Borscht Belt comic, which would be a viable career option if the rabbinical thing doesn't work out.
The shofar forms an integral part of the temple services on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which just took place starting at sundown on Sept. 20. It also traditionally closes Judaism's most sacred festival, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
As Rabin offered his high-energy presentation, he laid out for the Jewish youngsters why the shofar can only be made in certain ways from kosher animals, and some of its significance in Jewish religious tradition.
One requirement for a shofar is it must come from an animal with cloven hooves, said Rabin, and held up the hooves of a zebra and a cow to illustrate the difference, although cow's hooves are not typically used as shofars. Deer or similar antlers don't qualify, he demonstrated, as they are not hollow.
After explaining the history, the program proceeded to the heart of the matter: Giving each participant the chance to make a shofar of his or her own. Rabin handed out horns, derived from Texas goats, miniature hacksaws, and gloves to the children, who went to work sawing the "tooth" or tip of the horn at a pre-determined point.
They worked in pairs, with one holding and the other sawing. For those who couldn't get through with the handsaw, the rabbi had a bandsaw set up — which made short work of the horns — and created an aroma of charred bone.
After each shofar was cut, Rabin drilled out the small end, sanded the mouthpiece end smooth with a belt sander, and that was it. The shofar is a very simple musical instrument, with one basic overtones, and variation produced only by blowing technique.
As the workshop wore down, the sound of shofars being blown for the first time filled the room at Chabad, and the parking lot outside, as the children tried out their creations. Each has its unique pitch, so when multiple shofars blow, the effect is a discordant wail, reminiscent of a pack of wolves howling, or a South African soccer game.
Rabbi Fishel Zaklos, head of Chabad Naples, said every Jewish household needs a shofar. During certain months, it is blown each weeknight, he said, as well as in the synagogue. Letting the youngsters make their own shofars connects them with the ancient tradition.
"Look at the faces of the children. We're bringing the holiday alive — it's experiential," he said.
According to According to Ettie Zaklos, Chabad's program director and Fishel's wife, "the blast of the Shofar is intended as a wake-up call, telling us to refine ourselves and improve, in preparation of the upcoming year."
Rabbi Zaklos said Chabad Naples hosts a series of workshops through the year, including an olive press, a Torah workshop, a Havdalah candle workshop, and a sofer workshop exploring the work of Jewish scribes.
Chabad Naples is at 1789 Mandarin Road in Naples. They can be reached at 239-262-4474 or online at chabadnaples.com.
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