On the head of the year
We stand and blow
The curved horn
That once stood proud
On the head of the ram
Each blast, each sound, each alarm, each calling
Awakens our souls
To act, to protest, to rally
So that it may be a year
Of goodness. Of Peace. Of abundance for all.
| כָּל שָׁנָה שֶׁאֵין מַתְרִיעִין עָלֶיהָ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה
סוֹף שֶׁמַּתְרִיעִין עָלֶיהָ בְסוּפָהּ. Any year for which no shofar was blown at the start, one will have to blow at the end. —Jerusalem Talmud Taanit 2:1 |
| כׇּל שָׁנָה שֶׁאֵין תּוֹקְעִין לָהּ בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ —
מְרִיעִין לָהּ בְּסוֹפָהּ. Any year during which the shofar was not sounded at its beginning will suffer evil at its end. —Babylonian Talmud Rosh Hashanah 16b |
| כל שנה … מריעין לה בסופה
if people neglect to sound the Shofar in the beginning of the year (on New Year’s Day), they will sound the truʿah for it at its end (on public fast days on account of calamities) —Jastrow’s Dictionary |
Kohenet Shamirah aka Sarah Chandler is a Brooklyn-based Jewish educator, artist, activist, healer, and poet. An advanced student of Kabbalistic dream work at The School of Images, she is the CEO of Shamir Collective, as a coach and consultant to high profile musicians, artists, and authors to launch new works. She is a co-author of the recently published zine “Expanding the Field: A DIY Rosh Hashanah Companion” from Ayin Press.
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