Toot, toot goes shofar at HALB early child center

Some children held their ears, some looked up in wide-eyed wonder, and some laughed joyfully as Rabbi Akiva Oppen, sofer, baal tokaya, and owner of Oppen Scrolls, blew many different shofarot from many different kosher animals at the HALB Lev Chana Early Childhood Center.

Shofarot from such kosher animals as antelopes, deer, kudus, ibex, avcan, gazelles, mountain goats, goats and rams crammed the table as Rabbi Oppen demonstrated how a kosher shofar slips off the bone that grows from the head of the animal. He assured the children that it does not hurt the animal at all.

HALB’s children were able to share with Rabbi Oppen that we blow the Shofar to help us wake up and do teshuva and mitzvot.

Rabbi Oppen had the children close their eyes and pretend to be sleeping. He blew a long and loud tekiyah which had all the children jump and wake up very quickly. He added that we need to remember that Hashem is the king.

Rabbi Oppen told the children that when a king comes to a town, the soldiers line up and blow long trumpets, announcing his arrival. That is the tekiyah sound, announcing that Hashem the king is here. The shevarim and teruah are broken sounds that remind us to do teshuvah, to break up our haughtiness and pride, as we stand before Hashem, our king.

The children excitedly and carefully felt the smooth and rough Shofarot, exclaiming how some were so big and heavy and some so long and thin.