The shofar, our clarion call to action

I have been thinking about why Rosh Hashanah this year feels so monumental. The celebratory dinners welcoming 5786 with wine, challah, honey, and blessings, and sharing time and conversation with family and friends are now in the rear view mirror. One highlight was watching our grandson, 6, and our great-nephew, 10, successfully blow the shofar, which brought a smile to everyone’s face. Having everyone together was joyful. Yet I felt a heaviness in the air, during both the meals and the days of preparation.

Many people observe the High Holy Days by going to shul or following services on Zoom. Others travel to be with family. For most, the goal is the same: to connect or reconnect with their faith. We are tasked with reviewing the ups and downs of the past year, and in our minds and prayers to looking forward to the New Year with all the potential it holds, both good and bad. We are urged to look inward, repenting for our bad habits and deeds. We must make amends to those we have wronged and we are encouraged to do better, to be fair, good and kind to others.

Yet at the same time, we see our society growing more inward, more self-involved. The result isn’t more introspection, but rather more isolation. People of all stages are spending more of their free time on social media seeking “likes” from friends or strangers instead of having direct conversations with people they can actually see. Even romance has largely moved to dating apps, as if talking face to face has become less desirable or even unnecessary. But this isolation comes at a price. We are missing out on what human beings have always needed: companionship, relationships and a real connection to others with needs beyond our own.

Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Among the questions we might reflect upon during the holidays and beyond would be: Are we spending enough time engaging with people directly? Are our kids? Our grandkids? Are families still having discussions about life, love, societal rights and wrongs? Do we still believe our individual actions can make the world a better place? Or are our daily lives so overwhelming that we feel helpless? Do we wonder if we have the power to make a difference or what we can do to counter feelings of “doom and gloom”?

The strength of the Jewish people has always been our ability to come together in times of need or crisis and to stand up to oppressors. Our history has proven this time and time again. Now more than ever we need to spend our efforts fostering connections among Jews everywhere, for they are all suffering. And so are we.

If you haven’t felt this negativity in the past few years, you are a rarity.

In February 2025, an American Jewish Committee report told us that “the vast majority (90 percent) of American Jews say antisemitism has increased either a lot (61 percent) or somewhat (29 percent) since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and one-third (33 percent) of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism — in person or virtually — at least once over the last year.” In December 2024, Hadassah’s report, “From Fear to Resilience: Women Facing Antisemitism,” said that of the more than 1,000 Jewish women polled, “two-thirds were impacted by antisemitism, with 62 percent feeling unsafe, 52 percent hiding their identity, 33 percent experiencing hate speech, and 22 percent facing exclusion. The impact has been widespread…”

Is history repeating itself yet again? Our own country is becoming less a safe haven for religious freedom and more a threatening space on campuses and in local communities. Violence against Jews is up. In August, the Jewish Federations of North America released the FBI’s findings: “Of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2024, the data showed 69 percent targeted Jews.”

Recent actions at the U.N. have demonstrated yet again that Israel is the recipient of unique scrutiny because no other country in the world has been condemned for fighting against an existential threat after suffering an aggressive, unprovoked, and brutal attack. And while the U.N. Watch report exposed Hamas’s takeover of UNRWA schools in GAZA and Lebanon, allowing Hamas to control the education system for years, the U.N. itself has condoned this.

So, what are we to do? In our world, when a family member needs help, rest assured everyone comes together to do what’s necessary. This is exactly where we find ourselves right now. Each and every Jew and decent-minded person must speak up to counter this scourge, antisemitism. There is no vaccine, no cure for it. Yet we cannot remain silent or complacent; we have learned that strategy doesn’t work from the generations that preceded us. When we stand together, we can overcome almost any obstacle. Divided, we could fall.

Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days are literally a call to action. The sound of the shofar unites us in the services, awakening us to get the message both literally and figuratively. In how many ways can you use your voice? So much is in jeopardy: freedom of choice, equitable health treatment for women and men; a growing concern about Israel, and the fragility of a continuing, strong U.S.-Israel connection. For me, one place I express my advocacy is in Hadassah. There are other organizations as well where people walk the walk rather than just talk the talk. How can you do your part? Visit a local legislator and share your concerns. Express those concerns to multiple elected officials via letter, phone call, or email. Plan to act with others; you don’t have to do it alone. Follow the sign-on letters you see in an email and add your name when it aligns with your beliefs. Stay informed by getting information from trusted sources. Participate in a walk or march. Reach out to any of the organizations fighting the forces working against who we are and what we stand for. Give some of your time as well as your dollars.

When you find the right place to express your voice and follow that Jewish mandate of tikkun olam, you will be an active part of repairing or healing the world. When we all take action, we have greater impact. Together, we can work for social change and stand up for those who are suffering, for those without a voice. When we act as leaders, others will follow.

Let’s all recognize we are mandated to act, to help others. In turn, we help ourselves and guarantee our people will be here for future generations. That can help make 5786 the best year that it can possibly be.

Debra Mazon of Emerson is a human resources director for a medical sales company in Wayne. She is the chair of American affairs advocacy for Hadassah.