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The Schmooze

6 Shofar Shockers: You Won’t Believe Number 5!

Image by thinkstock

It’s almost Rosh Hashanah, and we’re rounding up all the wacky, quirky, delicious (yes, delicious) things you might not know about shofars.

1. They might break your bank.

This one goes for $1,678. Pricey, but definitely easy on the eyes. It’s got some intricate, colorful designs of candlesticks, challah, the moon and animals.

Image by Amazon

2. You can make them out of chocolate.

Nom, nom.

Image by etsy

3. They’re commonly called ram horns, but they’re not all made out of rams.

Shofar makers use horns from several species of antelope; they especially favor the Kudu antelope.

Image by Wikipedia

4. You can play more than one at a time.

Image by Naomi Zeveloff

Beverage executive Robert Weinger was so moved the first time that he blew on a shofar, he moved to Israel, settled in the West Bank, and now peddles and plays the horn full-time.

5. They’re not just a Jewish thing.

Shofars are hugely popular among Christian evangelicals.

Image by The Shofar Man

6. They’re an actual musical instrument. The Queen of Pop is a fan of the sound.

Madonna included a shofar in her song “Isaac.”

Thea Glassman is a Multimedia Fellow at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.

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