Every morning during the month before the start of the Jewish New Year, the shofar players at Beth El Congregation get a little practice.“I like to call it preseason or spring training because it gives the shofar blower a chance to practice up for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur,” said Rabbi Stephen Grundfast. “It’s also a wake up call for people to spiritually prepare themselves for this holy time of year. The sound is intended to stir the conscience and call us to the service of God and our fellow human beings.”Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) begins at sundown today. It is a time when millions of Jews around the world gather at synagogues to celebrate the completion of another year and to take stock of one’s life as a new year begins.It is considered a mitzvah (or commandment) for every Jew to hear the shofar blowing at Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as they welcome the Jewish New Year. The hallowed ram’s horn is one of the oldest wind instruments in existence and has been part of Jewish tradition for thousands of years. For the Jewish faithful, its sound reminds them of their connection with God and it acknowledges God’s dominion over man and life.At Beth El, the holy horn is sounded by Grundfast and the synagogue’s official shofar blower, Stephen Robbins. He began playing the shofar about 10 years ago.“I played the trumpet in high school and college and always thought it was something I could do,” Robbins said. “I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to participate in the service in such a meaningful way, knowing that the shofar calls us to examine ourselves and commit to do better.”High Holy DaysThe two days of Rosh Hashana usher in a 10-day period of solemn reflection, penitence and renewal – often referred to as the High Holy Days. That sacred period culminates with Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement), which is the holiest day in the Jewish calendarYom Kippur is observed by a total 26-hour fast and a full day of religious worship and personal reflection. It begins this year at sundown on Oct. 7.The 10-day period leading up to Yom Kippur, known as the Days of Awe, represents the climax of a longer process. Starting at the beginning of the month previous to Rosh Hashana (called Elul), the shofar is traditionally sounded at the end of the morning service at synagogues like Beth El in West Akron.“During the month of Elul, it is a rabbinic custom to blow the shofar. We sound it every day, except on the Sabbath and the day before Rosh Hashana, that way the sound will be fresh and new on the holiday,” Grundfast said. “Sounding the shofar on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are prescribed by the Torah.”One week before Rosh Hashana, which marks the beginning of the month of Tishrei, special petitionary prayers are added to the ritual of sounding the shofar.Shofar soundsThe ram’s horn makes a trumpet-like sound that is intended as a wake-up call to prepare for the sacred time of assessing one’s life. The stark, piercing sound is said to give voice to the cries of God’s people and to alert them to the time of repentance, judgment and celebration.During each of the two Rosh Hashana mornings, the shofar is blown 100 times to mark a time for solemn reflection and a time of celebration as the New Year begins. The shofar is sounded once at the close of Yom Kippur to signify that the gates of repentance are closing.The shofar, which has no mouthpiece or valves, is the most powerful symbol of the Jewish New Year. It is made by hollowing out a ram’s horn, shaping it and polishing it.Playing it requires a tense mouth, a vibrating lower lip and strong breath control. Shofar blowers learn to make two primary sounds but four total sounds on the ancient instrument.The four sounds are called: • Tekiah – one long, simple note, like an alarm• Shevarim – three medium blasts in succession• Teruah – nine short staccato blasts• Tekiah Gedolah – a single blast that lasts until the blower runs out of breath.Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com