Every year, when the shofar cuts through the air, I get chills. Not just because it’s loud, but because of what it stirs inside me. Amos once asked, “Shall a shofar be blown in a city, and the people not tremble?” (Amos 3:6). I think he was right—the shofar is supposed to make us tremble a little.
It’s the same sound our ancestors heard at Sinai when the mountain shook. The same sound that rallied Israel’s armies, or marked the coronation of a king. And now it’s the sound that calls us back to God every Rosh Hashanah. A wake-up call. A reminder that these aren’t ordinary days.
The Bible gives us so many pictures of this season: Abraham standing over Isaac, his faith tested to the breaking point. Jonah swallowed by the great fish, crying out from the depths until God gave him—and Nineveh—a second chance. Isaiah urging us, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
These stories remind me that the High Holidays are not just about lofty prayers. They are about choices. About action. Our tradition insists on it: teshuvah, tefillah, tzedakah—repentance, prayer, and charity. Not one or two, but all three. Without charity, the stool tips over. Without mercy for others, our prayers ring hollow.
And that’s why this season feels so heavy this year. Because I know—we all know—that across Israel there are tables standing empty. Families who can’t afford challah for hamotzi, wine for kiddush, or even a simple holiday meal.
It breaks my heart. And it should break yours too. Because it’s not supposed to be this way.
The numbers are staggering: more than 2 million Israelis live below the poverty line, and nearly 1 in 3 children doesn’t know if there will be food on the table this holiday season. Parents working two jobs still can’t keep up with the cost of basic groceries. For them, the High Holidays bring not joy but worry.
But here’s the part that gives me hope: it doesn’t take much to change that story. For $36, you can put one person at a holiday table. For $180, you can give an entire family the dignity of a meal filled with blessing and joy.
Micah said it best: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). And Isaiah promised, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them” (Isaiah 41:17).
Maybe this year, God answers through us.
So when you hear the shofar, let it stir not only your prayers but also your compassion. Let’s make sure that this season of sweetness truly brings sweetness—to every family, at every table, across the Land of Israel.
If you’re considering sponsoring a holiday meal for a family in Israel, click here or visit this site: https://israel365charity.com/our-projects/rh25/
