Buying Shofar Online

The Shofar is a horn that is used for Jewish religious observance during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and as a decorative object and musical instrument. It makes a wonderful gift. Shofarot (plural of Shofar) are made from the horns of kosher animals like rams and kudus, but not from horns of cattle




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Shofar sales

Shofar sales provide the ideal opportunity to buy a Shofar. These sales are usually held after the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holiday season, in late September or October, but also in the Hebrew month of Elul (August), just before the holidays, but some Judaica stores and online Judaica and Shofar Web sites also run Shofar sales at other times. Always comparison shop to find out if you are really getting a reduction. Remember that prices in Web sites are usually much lower than those in regular stores, even then there is no sale.

Internet Shofar sales

Many Judaica and Shofar Web sites run Shofar sales at particular times of the year, and others may run sales throughout the year. The Internet is now the world's largest market place. It makes it easy to find the Shofar that is right for you at the right price. There is a plentiful supply of Shofarot and the market is very competitive. If you invest time in comparison shopping, especially right after the holidays or in August, you can find an excellent Shofar at a very modest price.

Designer Shofarot

Particular designers of decorated Shofarot have established a reputation and a brand. These branded Shofarot are normally very expensive. However, if you are patient, and search the Web and neighborhood Judaica and religious items stores, you will find these designer items at greatly reduced prices.

Ram's Horn Shofar
The Ram's horn Shofar is usually considered to be the classical Hebrew ritual Shofar. The ram's horn Shofar was a very common motif in ancient Jewish art. It was shown in reliefs, capitals, floor mosaics and various implements. It was often depicted near the base of the seven-branched menorah, sometimes shown with the incense-bowl, the palm branch (lulav) and the citron etrog. Rambam ruled that a Shofar made from the horn of any other animal is not suitable for ritual purposes. The ram's horn Shofar is said to symbolize the ram that was caught in the thicket and served as a substitute when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Yemenite Shofar
Yemenites traditionally use a special, very long Shofar made of the horn of the Greater African kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros, a large striped animal of the antelope family. The kudu reputedly has the biggest horns of any creature, certainly longer than the Ram. Yemenite kudu horn Shofarot are often beautifully polished. Longer Shofarot allow the playing of more notes. Some believe that the kudu horn of the Yemenite Shofar was the original one, which was brought from Africa to the land of Israel.

Cleaning a Shofar

Congratulations on receiving your new shofar! But what's this? As you exuberantly lift it to your mouth preparatory to your first blast, you notice, well, a faint (or not so faint) odor emanating from your newest acquisition.
Check out our Shofar accessories for the new shofar odor remover spray

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