Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Posted on June 6). It is almost Sivan, and I am finally back from travels and able to take a few minutes to acknowledge the month. Many thanks to my co-coordinators Linda and Stephen who led our walking meditation at the beginning of Iyyar, four weeks ago!
I was in Prague, Czechia, over Rosh Chodesh Iyyar, visiting for the first time, and hopefully not the last. The Jewish Museum there explains the very old and magnificent history of Jews in this city, and in central Europe. Through alternating waves of favor and reclusion at the whim of various rulers, the community thrived and persisted, then suffered massive losses in the Holocaust. Several synagogues, the old cemetery, and their neighborhood, dating back to the middle ages, have been thoughtfully preserved, honoring community and spiritual life, and remembering the dead. They are a tribute to what was once a vibrant center of Jewish life in Europe, and also a tribute to the careful attention of today’s Jewish community in Prague.
Throughout all of Iyyar, we count the Omer, enumerating one by one the 49 days that pass between Passover and Shavuot. What began originally as a simple daily prayer observance became infused with spiritual value by the Kabbalists – and remains both a simple practice, and an opportunity for spiritual and personal growth. At Passover we celebrate new life and vigor, and our escape from slavery; at Shavuot we honor the receiving of the Torah which anchored us as a people in history. Counting the Omer provides us with a bridge between them. Each day we strive to improve our selves, and grow in order to be worthy of the receiving. We have a lot to pray for this year. May the act of counting help us to number our days and reach for a better world, day by day. – K. Miriam
Rosh Chodesh Cleveland 