The shofar is a ram’s horn that is used in traditional Jewish rituals at select points of the year (ie, the month of Elul, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur). In ancient times, it was blown in battle to alert or rally the Israelite troops. In its contemporary religious context, it is often framed as a tool that is meant to awaken the Jewish people from their “spiritual slumber” so that they may do the work of self-reflection and repentance before the High Holidays.