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April 2007
Regional News
East Bay Passover arrived Monday, April 2 at sundown. And after Passover? Immediately with the very first Seder we begin counting the Omer. What is this? The Omer are the 49 days until the next Jewish festival, Shavuot. The days of counting are considered by the rabbis to be days of "semi- mourning." Mourning? In the midst of a glorious spring? How can that be? In ancient times all peoples were dependent on agriculture. A good harvest meant a year of plenty, while a poor one meant scarcity and even famine. The spring crops were in the fields and they would be harvested in mid-May. Switch the word "semi-mourning" to "anxious" and you have the feeling. Everyone was anxiously counting the days – would there be sufficient rain? Would there be too much? Would insects devour the tender plants? They counted until that important day – harvest. In modern times we can use this period of time to remind ourselves of our great bounty. If the California orange crop is decimated, we can import oranges. We can remember those who labor to pick the crops, those who have less than we do. Perhaps we can even take a moment to give money or time to those who struggle to put food on their table (to realize a bounteous harvest). You can purchase little books that have a thought a day for the time of Counting of the Omer at synagogue and JCC gift shops and at Judaica shops around the Bay Area. Dawn Kepler « Previous Article | Back to Newsletter | Next Article »  |
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