The Shofar — Our Clarion Call to Act

I have been thinking about why Rosh Hashanah this particular year felt so monumental. The celebratory dinners welcoming 5786 with wine, challah, honey and blessings and the shared time and conversation with family and friends, are now in the rear-view mirror. But the memories remain.

One highlight for our family was watching our grandson, six, and our great nephew, 10, successfully blow the shofar. It brought a smile to everyone’s face. Just having everyone together was joyful; yet, I felt a heaviness in the air, both during the meals as well as on the days before when I was cooking, baking and setting the table for the holiday.

Many people observe the High Holy Days by going to shul (synagogue) or participating in services on Zoom. Others travel to be with family. For most, the goal is the same: to connect or reconnect with our faith.

We are tasked with reviewing the ups and downs of the past year and, in our minds and through the High Holiday prayers, we look ahead to the Jewish New Year with hope and fear for all the potential it holds, both good and bad. We are urged to look inward, to repent for our bad habits and misdeeds. We must make amends to those we have wronged, and we are encouraged to do better; to be fair, good and kind to others.

Yet, at the same time, we see our society becoming more self-involved. The result isn’t more introspection but rather more isolation. People in all stages of life are spending more of their free time on social media, seeking “likes” from friends or strangers instead of having direct conversations with people they can actually see.

Even romance has largely moved to dating apps — as if talking face to face has become less desirable or even unnecessary. But this isolation comes at a price; we are missing out on what human beings have always needed: companionship, relationships and a real connection to others with needs beyond our own.

In this season of reflection, we might ask ourselves: Are we spending enough time engaging with people directly? Are our kids? Our grandkids? Are families still having discussions about life, love and societal rights and wrongs?

Do we still believe our individual actions can make the world a better place? Or are our daily lives so overwhelming that we feel helpless? Do we wonder if we have the power to make a difference or what we can do to counter feelings of “doom and gloom?”

The strength of the Jewish people has always been our ability to come together in times of need or crisis and to stand up to oppressors. Our history has proven this time and time again. Now more than ever, we need to spend our efforts fostering connections among Jews everywhere, for they are all suffering. And so are we.

If you haven’t felt this negativity in the past few years, you are a rarity.

In February 2025, an American Jewish Committee (AJC) report stated:  “…the vast majority (90%) of American Jews say antisemitism has increased either a lot (61%) or somewhat (29%) since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and one-third (33%) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism – in person or virtually – at least once over the last year.”

In December 2024, Hadassah’s report “From Fear to Resilience: Women Facing Antisemitism” stated that, of the more than 1,000 Jewish women polled, “two-thirds were impacted by antisemitism, with 62% feeling unsafe, 52% hiding their identity, 33% experiencing hate speech and 22% facing exclusion. The impact has been widespread . . . .”

Is history repeating itself, yet again? Our own country is becoming less of a safe haven for religious freedom and more of a threatening space on college campuses and in local communities. Violence against Jews is up.

In August, the Jewish Federation of North America released the FBI’s findings: “Of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2024, the data showed that 69% targeted Jews.” Recent actions at the United Nations have demonstrated yet again that Israel is the recipient of unique scrutiny because no other country in the world has been condemned for fighting an existential threat after suffering an aggressive, unprovoked and brutal attack.

And while the UN Watch report exposed Hamas’s takeover of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) schools in Gaza, allowing Hamas to control the education system for years, the UN itself has condoned this.

So, what are we to do? In our world, when a family member needs help, rest assured we need everyone to come together to do whatever is necessary. This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in right now.

Each and every Jew and decent-minded person must speak up to counter this scourge of antisemitism. There is no vaccine to prevent it, no quick cure to eradicate it. Yet we cannot remain silent or complacent; we have learned from the generations that preceded us that a strategy of silence doesn’t work. But we’ve also learned that when we stand together, we can overcome almost any obstacle.

If we stand divided, we could fall.

The High Holy Days are literally a call to action. The sound of the shofar unites us —awakening us to “get the message,” literally and figuratively. In how many ways can you use your voice?

So much is in jeopardy: freedom of choice, equitable health care for all women and men; the security and very existence of Israel and the strong US-Israel connection.

One place I use my voice is through Hadassah. There are, of course, other organizations as well where people walk the walk rather than just talk the talk. How can you do your part? Visit a local legislator and share your concerns. Express those concerns to multiple elected officials via letter, phone call or email. Plan to act with others; you don’t have to do it alone. Follow the sign-on letters you see in your emails and add your name when it aligns with your beliefs. Stay informed by getting information from trusted sources. Participate in a walk or march. Reach out to any of the organizations fighting the forces that are working against who we are and what we stand for.

Give some of your time as well as your dollars. When you find the right place to express your voice and follow that Jewish mandate of tikkun olam (repairing the world), you will become an active part of healing the world. When we all take action, we have greater impact.

Together, we can work for social change and stand up for those who are suffering, for those without a voice. When we lead, others will follow. Let’s all recognize that we are mandated to act, to help others. In turn, we help ourselves and guarantee that our people will be here for future generations – which will go a long way to making 5786 the best year that it can possibly be.