As of today, we are 20 days into the 49 day period of time in the Jewish calendar that connects Passover with Shavuot. The word Omer refers to a sheaf of barley, which in the days of the Temple, each member of the community brought a harvest offering, and was commanded to count the 49 days until Shavuot – the Festival of Weeks when we celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Every day, we count that day after sunset, with a blessing.  If you forget to count before midnight, you can count the next day, but you can’t recite the blessing. I have never yet managed to count all 49 days of the Omer.
I don’t know if this year will finally be my year to successfully count the Omer all the way, but I’m off to a good start, thanks, in large measure, to the Omer Project at Tikvat Israel (my synagogue). For the past few months, a group of us had met to put together a variety of events to get participants involved in activities that will nourish body and soul. I was asked to get involved because I have led meditation sessions at… [continued]