Music Around the World

The following story took place during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

During the Spanish Inquisition, many yidden had to be secret yidden. They were called “Marranos.” They had to pretend that they were not yidden, otherwise they would be severely punished. Many times they were publicly burnt at the stake.

They would learn Torah and do all the mitzvos in concealment. They had secret minyanim in special hidden basements. Everything they did was in secret.

Our story begins when it was getting close to Rosh Hashana. Of course, one of the things that we do on Rosh Hashana is hear the shofar sounded, but how were the yidden of Spain going to hear the shofar?

The yidden of Spain could not sound the shofar in their “shul,” otherwise their secret would be discovered, and their lives would be at risk. So where could the yidden get together and blow the shofar without getting caught?

There was one Marrano who realized that this was a problem, and he thought of a solution. What would this Marrano do? Well, he was a conductor of an orchestra. It just so happened, that on Rosh Hashana there would be a concert.

The yid was not able to say: “I cannot come to the concert because I am Jewish.” Any other excuse would not work either, because there were spies everywhere and they were looking out for yidden. So, the man would have to participate in the concert.

But that is exactly where the solution for the shofar problem was. The concert was called “Music Around the World.” The concert would feature musical instruments from places around the world.

The man thought to himself: “I can get someone to blow the shofar as part of the concert. Nobody will know what the shofar is and they will think that it is just another musical instrument—a ram’s horn! That way, everyone will get to hear the shofar on Rosh Hashana, right under the inquisition’s noses!”

So, the man arranged for another yid to blow the shofar as part of the concert. Nobody knew that this man was a yid either.

Soon the word got out to all the yidden thay they should attend the concert, and buy the tickets in advance. This information was passed along in secret, of course.

As Rosh Hashana was approaching, all the yidden had obtained tickets to the concert, “Music Around the World.”

On Rosh Hashana, all the yidden attended the concert. At the concert there were all types of strange instruments. And then… there was a solo… the shofar!

The goyim thought: “What a strange instrument! Oh, but that is what this concert is about—‘Music Around the World.’” Of course, the yidden knew that they were listening to the shofar being blown on Rosh Hashana!

That is how the yidden heard the shofar being sounded on Rosh Hashana during the Spanish Inquisition.