This week I had the great honour of being invited to sound the shofar for all of our ELC students. Experiencing their unrivalled delight in the ritual was joy enough, so too was their excitement in feeling the textures, chanting the notes and counting aloud as I performed the Tekiyah Gadolah. But, for me, the best part was having the opportunity to discuss with them why they thought that we did this and to hear their questions. One child asked me “who invented the Shofar?” Another replied “I think it was Leonardo Da Vinci!” Another corrected, “No, it was a ram – that’s a boy sheep.”

While their answers were adorable they also moved to a more profound understanding when they shared that the reason we blow shofar is to “wake us up” and that “it makes me a better person”. 

Clearly they have been well taught and these twin goals can orient us as we move towards a new year. 

As Term 3 finishes and we approach the Jewish year of 5785, I wonder what we need to be woken up from. While our youngest students might interpret this literally, we might understand this as a call to live our lives with deliberation, purpose and meaning. How easy was it in 5784 to be lulled into automaticity through our daily routines and to forget to notice the beauty and magic that surrounds us? How easy was it to fall into well worn patterns of behaviour rather than seeing each interaction as a unique opportunity to connect and build on relationships? How indifferent have we become to the overwhelmingly negative stories and messages that we experience in traditional and social media?

“Waking up” is a call to live life at a more conscious level where we are constantly thinking about our actions, choices and their impact.

In 5785 I hope that I can stay awake so that I cease to take for granted the blessings around me in my family, my school community and in the wider world.

The second goal I was taught by the senior kindergarten students was to use the sounds of shofar to jolt me into striving to be a better person. Hearing the shofar is a call towards us taking account and ultimately responsibility for our actions in the year that passed. We might try to reflect on the times when we have fallen short of the standards that we set for ourselves and to think about when we might have strayed from our core values. When have we shirked responsibility, compromised our principles or acted in a manner that was cruel and unkind? Then we use this honest reflection to help us set our plans for the new year.

For our school students being better might be about being a kinder friend and classmate. It is about being respectful of our staff and our environment. It means striving to participate positively in the vast array of opportunities that surround them and applying themselves honestly in their learning. 

We are very focused on providing our students with the skills, attributes and desire to be their best selves. Of course, the purpose here is not to strive for perfection but for improvement. 

5784 has been a very challenging year for the Jewish community locally and worldwide. The devastation of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel have been followed with a relentless multi-front war that has caused devastation to so many. Many of us have close connections who have been directly impacted by these events and it has been harrowing to bear witness to the devastations of war.

Domestically, we have seen great strains placed on our precious multicultural community and have experienced an unparalleled surge in antisemitism. 

Let us all hope and pray that the shofar blasts bring in a 5785 that can bring healing and peace for us, for Israel and for all of humanity – kol yoshvei tevel.  May we all wake up and be our best selves.

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tovah,

Marc Light