A Jewish ghost story rooted in shofar blasts, mourning, and Rosh Hashanah

Hey everyone, I want to share a story I just published on my Substack HEBREW HORROR called “Papa’s Projection.”

It’s a Jewish ghost story that takes place in the shadow of Rosh Hashanah, centered on a girl named Bilee whose beloved grandfather, the longtime shofar blower of their shul, dies right before the new year. On the eighth night after his burial, she returns to his grave with his shofar and finds out what it means to “blow for the dead.”

The piece blends themes of mourning, teshuvah, resurrection, and the sacred terror of sound. It’s horror, but deeply Jewish horror, born from the idea that the shofar doesn’t just awaken the living, but can also stir those who sleep below.

I wrote it originally as a campfire story for kids at a Jewish summer camp, and now, after my grandmother’s recent passing at age 99 (z”l), it’s taken on a new, more personal resonance.

If you’re interested in spooky Jewish fiction, I’d be honored if you gave it a read:

Papa’s Projection — Written by Elie Lichtschein