The Davis Academy: A Sound Tradition
Rabbi Micah Lapidus | The Davis Academy
The days leading up to Rosh Hashanah are exciting ones at the Davis Academy. Among the many and varied ways that our school community anticipates the holiday is our daily shofar blowing during morning announcements.
Picture scores of Davis Academy children of all ages carrying shofars of all types. Imagine the cacophony as each child blows the shofar to the best of his or her ability. It’s a beautiful sound.
Throughout the centuries, the sound of the shofar has come to symbolize many different things. Here at the Davis Academy, the sound of the shofar resonates with ancient and modern messages.
The shofar proudly proclaims that we are here, confident in our Jewish identity. It beckons to us to honor our personal past and collective history. It reminds us of our commitment to tikkun olam and social action. It evokes for us the spirituality that permeates all aspects of Jewish life and practice. It challenges us to live our menschlichkeit values of wisdom, spirit, respect, righteousness and community.
Our shofar ritual, because of the many children who participate and the many meanings the shofar conveys, is a reminder of the special diversity that resides at the Davis Academy and in all of our Jewish communities. Our unique faces, voices, stories, hopes and dreams are an amazing testament to the strength, resolve and enduring mission of the Jewish people.
The sounds of the Davis Academy are, in fact, always bright and beautiful. We welcome all to visit to hear the sounds of laughter, music and learning any time of year. L’shana tova!
Rabbi Micah Lapidus is the director of Jewish and Hebrew studies at the Davis Academy.
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