Photo by Stephen Harmon at 68th and Broadway.
Rosh Hashanah was rocking on the Upper West Side this weekend. Several synagogues signed up volunteers to blow the shofar on Sunday up and down Broadway, and elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Stephen Hatrmon tells us that the crowds grew in anticipation. “People started gathering about 10 minutes before. We were at the one on W. 68th. People were on all of the corners and on the medians. The Shofar blowing was perfect!! Where but in America and Israel could an event like this take place.”
Jeff French Segall (above) blew the shofar outside his shul, Ansche Chesed, on 100th Street and West End Avenue. “As soon as the services for second day Rosh hashana ended, all those within emerged to hear the real, authentic sound of the shofar, not the zoom version. Ansche Chesed, like so many other shuls, used zoom so that all members could follow the liturgy at home, safe from covid-19 infection. But the Rabbi, Jeremy Kalmonofsky, much preferred the authentic sound of the shofar, not the sound emanating from computer speakers. Many AC members came out of their homes to hear the notes sounded. After I was done, others were invited to give one final “tikkiya gedola” (a great blast) to put the cap on the event.” (below) Photos by Chase Guttman.
Barbara Migdal took the photo below at 83rd and Broadway.
Heard a lot of shofars, and a lot of people yelling from windows telling them to shut up.
I yelled out my window but to say YES!!!!! Thank you!!!!! It is actually a very pleasant sound and lasts all of a minute at most. It is part of the High Holy Days and Rosh Hashanah.
When I opened my window all I heard was cheers.
I am not even Jewish but can appreciate it’s significance.
😎👍
No edit button…
It was one shofar blown by one person for a minute or so. Not a lot of shofars.
Obviously not only one. There are two different pictures of two different people at two different locations, and I know of at least ten more. The responses I saw were all very positive.
We arrived at Broadway and 72nd Street –one of the announced locations–at 3:50, No shofar blowing took place at 4 or 4:40 and we finally left about 4:10. There were approximately 40 people waiting. What happened or, rather, what didn’t happen?
There was a gathering on 72nd and West End. Maybe they moved there instead?
I saw and heard a shofar in a Central Park playground on CPW. That weird and discordant sound signals fall and a new year. The Jews got it right. Fall feels much more like a new year than January. Shana Tovah Westsiders!
Shana Tova
This should be an annual tradition
the sound of the shofar is, quite literally, a wake up call. Wake up! Pay attention! Be mindful! Make the changes you need to make in order to be the change you want to see in the world. Don’t procrastinate! The time is NOW!
Wonderful..and..Everyone masked..xxx
How wonderful and inspiring. Thank you.
Awesome. Wish I had known about this in advance so that I could have gone to hear the Shofar.😎👍
Thank you Shofar blowers. Especially this year amidst the Pandemic and other chaos, the blowing of the Shofar signals hope for all GOD”s people
UJA organized this event called Shofar in the Street, but for some inexplicable reason it was arranged only for the east side and it’s synagogues. A West Side Chabad helped but thus together, so Enid needs to address UJA and tell them the West Side is no less important.
Yes there was a shofar blowing at 72nd Street at around 4:15-4;30
This is so beautiful. I live in Texas and wish I had located a location that openly sounded the wake up call. Blessings on all who were able to hear the sound and search their hearts.
My husband blew shofar at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (with our son calling) – if anyone took a photos or videos of this, I’d love a copy…
Also, I went to hear at the Broadway location closest to me as well as on Riverside, and one thing I noticed (and these photos here back me up) was that there were very few children present, which I thought really surprising. Anyone know why that might be?