The period between Passover and Shavuot marks two kinds of movement through time: the passage of the seven weeks between the barley offering and the first wheat offering at the ancient Temple during these spring festivals, and the transition from slavery to true liberation. On Passover, we leave Egypt, but on Shavuot we receive the Torah, which gives us our purpose as a people, answering the question of the ultimate goal of our collective freedom.
For many people, the "counting of the Omer"—these 49 days—provides a time for reflection and growth, often using the seven “lower” emanations of God in the kabbalistic system as spiritual themes for each day and week. Another extraordinary approach offers the opportunity to meditate each day on a biblical woman whose life reflects the mystical qualities associated with that day.
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Holidays through 2009 | Document
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Introduction to Counting the Omer | Article
By Carol Ochs, edited by Lori Lefkovitz
An explanation of the practice from the Kolot Egalitarian Omer Calendar
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The Counting | Poem
By Yael Fischman
A poetic reflection on counting the Omer
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The Five Steps of Counting the Omer | Ritual Component
By Carol Ochs, edited by Lori Lefkovitz
Including a meditation and the blessings
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Omer Calendar of Biblical Women | Complete Ceremony
By Rabbi Jill Hammer
This Omer calendar features a biblical woman who is associated with the mystical qualities of the respective day.
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Introduction to the Kolot Omer Counter | Article
By Carol Ochs, edited by Lori Lefkovitz
Honoring our ancestors on the path to Sinai
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The Kolot Egalitarian Omer Calendar | Complete Ceremony
By Carol Ochs, edited by Lori Lefkovitz
Our Foremothers' Lives, and Our Lives, as Sacred Texts
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