Israeli President Isaac Herzog published a video statement on Thursday wishing Jews in Israel and around the world a happy New Year in a special message ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
“Sisters and brothers, from the President's Residence in Jerusalem, I wish the Jewish people around the world a Shana Tovah, a very happy New Year," Herzog began.
The President described the shofar as the “defining sound of Rosh Hashanah," saying that it captures the range of emotions experienced during the High Holidays.
“It is a call our people have sounded for generations, asking for forgiveness and to be written and inscribed in the Book of Life," he said. “It is, as our tradition teaches us, a call back to ourselves, urging us to refocus our lives and our goals."
Herzog said that the cry of the shofar also expresses the pain felt by the Jewish people over those who have been lost.
“Most poignantly, the piercing cry of the shofar carries pain: the pain of those we have lost, those who defended our only Jewish state, those who are victims of terror within our borders, and those who are victims of the tide of antisemitism around the world," he said.
At the same time, Herzog said, the shofar carries three additional calls in response to that anguish, the first of which is a message of pride.
“The shofar proclaims: we are here, we are strong, we are Jews, and we are Israelis, and we are very proud," Herzog stated.
He said he sees that pride in Jewish communities around the world and among those who visit Jerusalem, highlighting in particular the young Jews he meets and their sense of responsibility toward the Jewish people.
Herzog added that the shofar's second message is a call to action and to continue working to improve the world, particularly during difficult times.
“It is a call to keep making the world a better place, embracing tikkun olam," he said, adding that it is also a call to confront the major challenges facing the future of the Jewish people.
He pointed to Voice of the People, an initiative and council he founded representing different parts of Israeli and Jewish society, which is set to begin a new cohort this autumn.
The third message of the shofar, Herzog said, is a call to listen to and respect one another.
“And finally, the shofar calls us to listen: not just to it, but to each other, and in doing so, to respect one another," he said. “For Israelis, as we debate our country's future ahead of next month's elections, and for Jews in the diaspora watching closely, this is a call we must all heed."
Herzog said the sound of the shofar transcends differences of language, time, and place and brings the Jewish people together for “a moment of reflection, pride, and renewed commitment to our faith, to each other, and to the world."
Concluding his message, Herzog cited the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who said that the shofar reminds the Jewish people of their ultimate destination and “how far we still have to go."
“The Jewish people and the State of Israel have always known our destination and the journey we are on," Herzog said. “As we move into the new year, may we all continue this journey together, and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a year of blessing, harmony, and peace."
“Leshanah tovah tikatevu v'techatemu. Shanah tovah, v'am Yisrael chai."