A group of 1, 043 ram’s horn blowers made history on Sunday in Whippany, NJ, setting a new record for the world’s biggest shofar band, NJ.com reported.
The shofarists blew their instruments in near-perfect unison for five straight minutes in the parking lot of the local Jewish community school.
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“The meditative sound of the horns gave way to jubilant cheers, as instrumentalists and spectators celebrated the achievement, ” according to NJ.com
The title used to belong to Swampscott, Massachusetts, where 796 shofars were blown simultaneously on the beach in 2006.
The Great Shofar Blowout was organized by the Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life. It was preceded by workshops for beginning shofar blowers.
“Our mission is to bring Jewish learning to life so we do a lot of things experientially, ” Robert Lichtman, executive director of the partnership, told NJ.com.
The weather was terrible on Sunday morning, but folks were excited. On cue, they all picked up their horns and gave out a “resonant call, ” with a series of long notes, then short bleats, known in Hebrew as “Tkiah, Shvarim, Truah.”
There were a few musicians in the crowd, and many who lost it after the first few notes. Still, the combined result was harmonious enough.
