Socially-distanced shofar blowings will take place in driveways and gardens across Elstree and Borehamwood over Rosh Hashanah with the consent of Hertfordshire and Hertsmere’s health chiefs.
Chabad of Borehamwood has arranged for shofar blowings at 25 locations, following the agreement of Jim McManus, Hertfordshire’s director of public health. When registration closed, 1,300 had asked to attend.
The movement’s Rabbi Chaim Hoch described the demand as “unbelievable. There’s been an incredible response from the community. We were not expecting so many people to register; we felt we’d have maybe 10 per cent of that,” he told the JC.
“I’m inspired, if not slightly intimidated, and it’s brought to light for us a very deep need in the community. I think a lot of people are using this as an opportunity to be social [and] to keep social distancing.”
