On Wednesday our Years 2 and 5 students experienced an interactive and enjoyable learning session with Rabbi Yossi and the Shofar Factory. We learned the steps to making a shofar: sourcing the horn of a kosher animal in line with the restrictions of tza’ar ba’alei chayim, the Jewish imperative to limit the suffering of animals, removing the cartilage, cleaning, measuring and cutting, drilling a hole and sanding and varnishing it.

We learned about not using deer antlers – they aren’t horns! Not using a cow’s horns – remember the sin of the Golden Calf? (shhhhh!) Ideally, we use a ram’s horn although you can also make beautiful shofarot from the African Kudu, Israeli Ibex, or even an American Buffalo – you’d better have super strong muscles to hold that last one up when you are blasting 100 sounds on each day of Rosh HaShanah!! We learned that in Australia most home-sourced shofarot are actually horns of a deer. The students enjoyed the opportunity to be hands-on with a variety of beautiful shofarot.

Louise Lowinger

Coordinator of Jewish Life & Learning K-5