IDF rabbis routinely travel to active combat zones, enduring rugged terrain and security risks to blow the shofar for troops on the front lines.
By Hezy Laing
During Rosh Hashanah, the IDF undergoes a massive logistical and spiritual transformation to ensure every soldier can celebrate the Jewish New Year.
The IDF Rabbinate distributes thousands of shofars, holiday prayer books, and traditional foods—including tons of apples and honey—to bases across Israel, from major headquarters to the most remote border outposts.
On base, soldiers gather in dining halls for festive communal meals, keeping holiday spirits high even while far from home.
However, operational readiness never stops. Soldiers remain on high alert, balancing holiday prayers with active patrols and guard duties.
IDF rabbis routinely travel to active combat zones, enduring rugged terrain and security risks to blow the shofar for troops on the front lines.
This seamless blend of ancient tradition and modern defense creates a profound sense of unity, reminding soldiers of the families and heritage they are actively protecting.
Here are five true stories of the extraordinary lengths IDF soldiers have gone to hear the shofar on Rosh Hashanah:
The Yom Kippur War Outpost (1973)
During the intense fighting of the Yom Kippur War, a small IDF unit was cut off in a remote Sinai outpost. Determined not to miss Rosh Hashanah, a young soldier volunteered to crawl through an active, live-fire zone to reach a neighboring battalion. He successfully retrieved a small ram’s horn, carrying it back under his vest. Amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire, the soldiers gathered quietly in a bunker to hear the fragile, defiant sound of the shofar.
Entebbe Rescue Mission Prep (1976)
Just months after the legendary Entebbe rescue, elite commandos were deployed on a highly classified, weeks-long surveillance operation along a hostile border. Carrying heavy tactical gear, one soldier packed a compact shofar instead of personal rations. When Rosh Hashanah arrived, the squad lay prone in deep mud to maintain camouflage. Taking turns watching the horizon, each commando leaned in close as the shofar blower whispered the blasts directly into their ears.
The Isolated Hermon Bunker (1991)
A fierce, unseasonal blizzard trapped a radar crew inside an isolated bunker on Mount Hermon right before the holiday. The base lacked a shofar, and all supply flights were grounded by the storm. Refusing to give up, two soldiers volunteered to trek three miles through freezing winds and blinding snow to a lower outpost. They braved frostbite and zero visibility, returning triumphantly with a shofar just in time to blow the notes for their stranded comrades.
The Lebanon Deep-Woods Patrol (2006)
During the Second Lebanon War, a paratrooper reconnaissance platoon found themselves deep in dense, mountainous terrain on Rosh Hashanah. Surrounded by enemy positions, making any noise meant risking immediate discovery. The platoon commander designated a brief operational pause behind a boulder. A soldier wrapped his thick military jacket tightly around the shofar to muffle the sound. The troops took turns pressing their ears directly against the jacket, catching the faint vibrations of the holy blasts.
Operation Protective Edge (2014)
In the midst of Operation Protective Edge, a combat engineering unit was stationed deep inside a secure staging area near Gaza. An IDF chaplain risked sniper fire to reach their position just before sunset. Because of strict noise discipline, the soldiers could not blow the shofar loudly outside. Instead, they crowded inside a freshly uncovered tunnel shaft. Underground, muffled by the earth, the ancient blasts echoed softly, offering comfort to the exhausted troops.
