{
  "id": 7365425,
  "title": "Beyond the Headlines: 'But I already heard the shofar at Selichot' - opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/beyond-the-headlines-but-i-already-heard-the-shofar-at-selichot",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T17:52:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-908581"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During a recent talk ahead of Rosh Hashanah, a teenage girl approached the speaker and asked what the most important thing her family should do on the holiday. The speaker replied that hearing the shofar was the central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The girl then stated that they had already heard the shofar during the Selichot prayers at the Western Wall, leading the speaker to realize they had misunderstood the significance of the shofar. While hearing the shofar during Selichot is a meaningful custom, it is actually a Torah commandment to hear it during Rosh Hashanah itself. A special blessing is recited before the shofar is sounded, and while it is being blown, all others must remain silent and simply listen. This year, since Rosh Hashanah begins on Shabbat, when the shofar is not blown, the custom is to hear it on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is typically blown in synagogues throughout the Jewish world during the morning hours. The girl was grateful for the information and promised to share it with her parents. She also mentioned that she initially thought apples and honey were the main aspects of Rosh Hashanah. In an emotional story from the past, the author recounts how they tracked down a distant relative, Aunt Adelle, who had been separated from her family during the Holocaust. After learning that Adelle had passed away at 102, the author and her husband ensured that she was buried according to Jewish traditions in Israel, fulfilling the verse from Deuteronomy promising that God will gather the exiles from far and wide.",
  "summary": "A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.",
  "key_points": [
    "Teenage girl asked speaker about most important Rosh Hashanah practice.",
    "Hearing shofar during Selichot is meaningful custom, not Torah commandment.",
    "Shofar must be heard on second day of Rosh Hashanah this year."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}