Shofar (TBE Newsletter)

The Shofar, Temple Beth El’s monthly publication, keeps community and temple members up to date on what’s going on. Take a look at this month’s Shofar to see what’s coming up or browse through the archives to see all that we’ve done!

September 2025 – Shofar (pdf)

A New Year, A Fresh Page: The Sound of the Shofar Calls Us

Dear Friends,

If you’ve ever stepped into my office or visited my apartment in Los Angeles, it will become immediately apparent that I love Jewish books. “My cup runneth over:” Books stuffed on top of the top shelf, sandwiched between shelves, crammed tightly in order by topic, some still in boxes because I simply have no space. Thus it won’t be surprising to hear that I was flipping through one of my High Holy Day books in preparation for the holidays. Between its pages, I found a slip of paper where I had scribbled notes to myself—plans, reminders, things I hoped to do. As I read them, I LOL’ed: Some goals I had accomplished, some had
changed, and some… well, I’ve got my excuses…

Rosh Hashanah feels a bit like a moment when we turn a page and rediscover where we have been, contrasting it with where we had hoped we’d be. The tekiyah! of the shofar reminds us to pause and notice: What have we written into the Book of our Life this past year? Where are we now? Which choices will we carry forward, and which might we choose—or try to choose—to leave behind?

When we hear the shofar, we might think of a child crying out for their parent. As the High Holy Day liturgy suggests, “We are your children, You are our Parent.” Yes, tradition teaches that the shofar emulates the wailing of Sarah upon hearing of Isaac’s death, also Sisera’s mother’s misery after waiting an eternity for her son to return from war, never to arrive. However, this year, I ask that you hear yourself in the sounds of the Shofar. Let your inner child manifest. Cry. Cry for your unfulfilled promises. Cry for suboptimal outcomes. Cry for all that you have forgotten were your goals. In the same way, when we stand before God these Yamim Nora’im—Days of Awe—our words may falter, our prayers may stumble—but the sound of the shofar carries the truth of our hearts, knowing that like a loving parent,
we can lean in on the godliness within us that allows us to be heard and embraced, that our tears will bring us a more successful and meaningful upcoming year.

Unlike the secular New Year’s focus on resolutions, our tradition doesn’t demand perfection—it asks for sincerity. “Take words with you and return to A-donai” (Hosea 14:3), and the Talmud reminds us, “The Holy One of Blessing seeks the heart” (Sanhedrin 106b; The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism rephrases it as “The Merciful One, seeks the heart,” reminding us that God is rooting for us, too!). Be real, sincere, and authentic in your prayers. It is not about perfection; it’s about Teshuvah—“returning” to your highest self, with honesty and earnestness.

Each blast of the shofar is like a punctuation mark: a full stop, a comma, a dash—inviting us to reflect on how we will shape the sentences of our lives. “On the first day of the seventh month you shall observe a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations. It shall be a day of sounding the Shofar for you” (Numbers 29:1). The sound is not merely ritual—it is a summons to rewrite our lives with intention.

When we gather for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, you are not alone with your reflections. You are surrounded by a community of devoted people who are also turning the page. Together, we remind one another that growth is possible, forgiveness is real, and the year ahead is full of unwritten possibilities.

This year, I invite you to choose just one new mitzvah, act of kindness, or step of Jewish learning, to carry with you into 5786. Maybe it’s lighting Shabbat candles more often (Exodus 20:8), visiting a neighbor who could use your love and attention (Leviticus 19:18), or joining our Tuesday or Saturday Torah study (Talmud Torah k’neged kulam—Torah study is equal to them all, Mishnah Pe’ah 1:1). Learn a text with me, one on one, for 15 minutes once a month. A small step, done with sincerity, can bring blessing, far beyond what we can see. Mitzvah goreret mitzvah, ripples of blessing.

As we step into 5786, may we write ourselves into the Book of LIfe with purpose. And may this year bring sweetness, health, and blessing to you, your loved ones, and to our entire community. L’shanah tovah tikateivu v’teichateimu—may you be inscribed for a good and meaningful year!

Rabbi Jonathan Klein

p.s. send me feedback via phone: 424.248.5775. Thank you!

SHOFAR ARCHIVES