Among the thousands of objects on view in London in 1887 at the storied Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition were 18 shofaroth, or, as the catalogue text would have it, “ram’s horn trumpets.” Variously described as “old,” “very old,” “quaint and old,” and “black from age,” these instruments were heralded for their association with practices that went as far back as the Bible.
The antiquity of the shofar was not the only thing of interest to the exhibition’s organizers. What also fascinated them was its distinctive sound. Without going into any detail, they categorically allowed how it was downright “distressing to Western ears.”
In the years since the Anglo-Jewish Historical Exhibition made its debut, we’ve come to see things differently. Instead of apologizing for and explaining away the persistence of age-old customs, practices and sounds, this generation of modern Jews is more apt to relish than rue them.
As we stand poised to usher in 5773, let the distinctive sounds of the shofar ring as loudly and clearly as a clarion call: Shanah tovah, a good year, for one and all.
