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.
The defining sound of Rosh Hashanah is the shofar, capturing the full spectrum of emotions we feel on 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. It is, as our tradition teaches us, a call back to ourselves, urging us to refocus our lives and our goals.
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. Dear sisters and brothers, this is the feeling we share in our hearts and souls, wherever we live.
Yet the long, majestic notes of the shofar carry three further calls, answers to that anguish. The first is pride. The shofar proclaims: we are here, we are strong, we are Jews, and we are Israelis, and we are very proud. I see that pride in Jewish communities around the world, wherever I go, and in the many who visit us here in Jerusalem.
I am especially inspired by the young Jews I meet, whose sense of responsibility and love for our people is our greatest answer to the hatred of our enemies. It is reflected, too, in the millions of friends that Israel and the Jewish people have all around the world, in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and far beyond.
Second, more than a show of pride, the shofar is also a stirring call to action. It is a call to keep making the world a better place, embracing tikkun olam, especially during these very difficult times. It is a call to tackle the biggest challenges facing our people's future. This is what Voice of the People, the initiative and council I founded, representing all parts of Israel and the Jewish world, is focused on, with a new cohort beginning this autumn.
And finally, the shofar calls us to listen: not just to it, but to each other, and in doing so, to respect one another. 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.
So, sisters and brothers, the sound of the shofar transcends language, time, and place. It brings our people, our great Jewish family, together on Rosh Hashanah for a moment of reflection, pride, and renewed commitment to our faith, to each other, and to the world.
The great Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, once said that the shofar reminds us of our ultimate destination, telling us 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. 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.
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