The Shofar FlashMob was Art Kibbutz's first, large-scale public project on September 18th, 2011 that included 20 international and US-based locations with 500+ participants and 60,000+ viewers on youtube.
It was a global project based on Shira Dicker's idea at the nexus of sound, spirit and technology! On September 18th, Art Kibbutz hosted the greatest Shofar-blowing event since Sinai, a worldwide happening that took the Jewish tradition of sounding the Shofar daily during the Hebrew month of Elul...and gave it a 21st century, postmodern twist.
Action
500+ volunteers led by artists blew the shofar together at designated public spaces for 2 minutes as a call for teshuvah (returning to your true purpose, to the whole, to the source). This is the first-ever FlashMob utilizing a shofar. Your spiritual, public art action will be synchronized with other FlashMob teams around the world. This creative event will be documented and incorporated into an artistic Rosh Hashana electronic greeting card by a composer. This is your chance to learn how to use the instrument and make a teruah gedolah (huge blast) that will rouse the heavens, and make Jews around the world, the international media and passers-by tremble.
What’s a FlashMob?
A FlashMob is a group of people who mobilize on short notice to perform a collective action. Howard Rheingold, in his 2002 book, dubbed them "smart mobs," noting that they "consist of people who are able to act in concert even if they don’t know each other." This was the first-ever FlashMob utilizing a shofar. From Lincoln Center in Manhattan to Wrigley Field in Chicago and Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem, the flashmob took the Jewish practice of blowing a ram’s horn to a new creative — and spiritual — level.
The purpose
Our spiritual, public art action were synchronized with other FlashMob teams around the world at 20 different locations including overall 500 participants. This creative event was documented and incorporated into an artistic Rosh Hashana electronic greeting card by a composer with Art Kibbutz. We blew a teruah gedolah (huge blast) that roused the heavens, and made Jews around the world, the international media and passers-by tremble. Like all great art, the Shofar FlashMob became a text of infinite meaning, imparting insight and texture to the beholder and participant alike. There were myriad interpretations of what was taking place. No two experiences were quite alike..
Preparation
We had a month-long online learning experience led by artists (about connecting to the shofar in a deeper level) as well as a 2-day workshop and planning-session at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center led by Rabbi Greg Wall and Patricia Eszter Margit.
Featured artists
Visal artist András Böröcz, composer Tibor Szemzö, Saxophonist Rabbi Greg Wall, Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, Jeremiah Lockwood and the Sway Machinery, Jake Marmer, Evan Kleinman, Jesse Freedman, Shira Dicker.
Some of the global locations and happenings
At the JCC in Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Av. @76th Street) on the street at 3:00pm slam poet Jake Marmer & Rabbi Greg Wall on saxopohone performed Rav Kook’s Shofar poem's experimental jazz & slam poetry version, followed by a massive flashmob blow, then free, Sway Machinery Rosh Hashana show, special for Art Kibbutz NYC and the JCC in Manhattan
We had a month-long online learning experience led by artists (about connecting to the shofar in a deeper level) as well as a 2-day workshop and planning-session at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center led by Rabbi Greg Wall and Patricia Eszter Margit.
Featured artists
Visal artist András Böröcz, composer Tibor Szemzö, Saxophonist Rabbi Greg Wall, Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, Jeremiah Lockwood and the Sway Machinery, Jake Marmer, Evan Kleinman, Jesse Freedman, Shira Dicker.
Some of the global locations and happenings
At the JCC in Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Av. @76th Street) on the street at 3:00pm slam poet Jake Marmer & Rabbi Greg Wall on saxopohone performed Rav Kook’s Shofar poem's experimental jazz & slam poetry version, followed by a massive flashmob blow, then free, Sway Machinery Rosh Hashana show, special for Art Kibbutz NYC and the JCC in Manhattan
Lincoln Center Plaza by the pool at Avery Fisher Hall 2:30pm
Lincoln Center Plaza by the pool at Avery Fisher Hall 2:30pm
Jerusalem (Israel)
On Rehov Ben Yehuda at 5:30pm a large group blew the shofar with Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein who red Rav Kook's HaOrot poem and Rabbi Gili played the guitar - co-sponsored by Schusterman Foundation's ROI community and the Rav Kook House.
On Rehov Ben Yehuda at 5:30pm a large group blew the shofar with Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein who red Rav Kook's HaOrot poem and Rabbi Gili played the guitar - co-sponsored by Schusterman Foundation's ROI community and the Rav Kook House.
Budapest (Hungary)
Led by sofar.hu, Obuda Frankel and Lagymanyos Bet Salom district synagogues, co-sponsored by Szombat cultural magazine, Szim Salom community, and EMIH, this flashmob brought together 40+ participants including a Jewish brass band with professional musicians bursting out in a happy concert after the shofar blowing. Andrea Kurti (JMPoint) at another location featured young bicycle fans ringing bells and shofars at the same time commemorating Earth Day on the same day.
Led by sofar.hu, Obuda Frankel and Lagymanyos Bet Salom district synagogues, co-sponsored by Szombat cultural magazine, Szim Salom community, and EMIH, this flashmob brought together 40+ participants including a Jewish brass band with professional musicians bursting out in a happy concert after the shofar blowing. Andrea Kurti (JMPoint) at another location featured young bicycle fans ringing bells and shofars at the same time commemorating Earth Day on the same day.
New York - Industry City: Art Kibbutz co-sponsored with the Jewish Art Salon, Artists 4 Israel, and Mimaakim: Terror: Artist's Respond an exhibition that marked the ten-year anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers and explored the range of psychological, social, and global ramifications of living in the age of terrorism. The work of American and Israeli artists included photography, painting, installation, and objets d'art. The collection entire highlights the disquietude of life lived in the long shadow of terror. Curators Yona Verwer and Chava Evans. Featuring artists: Hagai Argov, Shoshannah Brombacher, Zoya Cherkassky, Melanie Daniel, Shelley English, Chava Evans, Barry Frydlender, Tomer Ganihar, Tamar Hirschl, Lois Jarvis, Dan Keinan, Robert Kirschbaum, Batya Kuncman,Gillian Laub, Dov Lederberg, Ella Littwitz, Jake Mezrahi, Motti Mizrachi, Eden Morris, Adi Nes, Yvonne Roeb, Zvi Tolkovsky, Yona Verwer, Julian Voloj and Ahron D. Weiner. Poetry Performances by Steve Dalachinsky, Jake Marmer, Aaron Roller, Dena Weiss, and others.
Participants blew a blast of terror at the opening of the exhibition at the time of the flashmob - the footage did not get back in time to be incorporated in the Rosh Hashana greeting card, but it was a true wake-up call! Due to the acoustics in the cavernous gallery, all the sounds echoed. .More
Participants blew a blast of terror at the opening of the exhibition at the time of the flashmob - the footage did not get back in time to be incorporated in the Rosh Hashana greeting card, but it was a true wake-up call! Due to the acoustics in the cavernous gallery, all the sounds echoed. .More
Chicago - this flashmob featured a Sara Feigenholtz, State Representative at the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field stadium.along with 100 other participants.
Other locations:
- Chinatown (NYC)
- Tbilisi (Georgia)
- Kiev (Ukraine)
- St-Louis (Missouri)
- Tulsa (Oklahoma)
- San Francisco (California)
- Los Angeles (California)
and more…
- Chinatown (NYC)
- Tbilisi (Georgia)
- Kiev (Ukraine)
- St-Louis (Missouri)
- Tulsa (Oklahoma)
- San Francisco (California)
- Los Angeles (California)
and more…
San Francisco
"We blew the shofar together at Alamo Square in San Francisco for 2 minutes as a call for teshuvah (returning to your true purpose, to the whole, to the source).."
"We blew the shofar together at Alamo Square in San Francisco for 2 minutes as a call for teshuvah (returning to your true purpose, to the whole, to the source).."
