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Counting for the Climate: Omer 5781 Written and Compiled from Many Sources By Counting for the Climate: Omer 5781 Written and compiled from many sources by... Jewish communities formally count each day starting on the second Noa Gordon-Guterman night of Pesach — our retelling of the exodus from slavery in Egypt — for the seven weeks until Shavuot — a celebration of receiving The blessing for the Counting of the Omer, said on the evening of each new day: & Rabbi Rain Zohav the Torah. This counting, called Sfirat haOmer, recalls an agricultural Baruch atah A-donai Elo-heinu Melech HaOlam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al sfirat haOmer. for practice of bringing sheafs of barley — each unit an “omer” — as Blessed are You, A-donai our G-d, Sovereign of the Universe, IPLdmv.org/omer offerings to the Temple. This year, our Jewish community is using this who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count theOmer. calendar to both appreciate abundance in the natural world, and to After the blessing, one recites the appropriate day of the count. For example: journey towards greater responsibility for those we are harming Hayom yom [echad] la’Omer most by our climate pollution. The Jewish mystical tradition, Today is the [first] day of the Omer. kabbalah, overlaid two Divine attributes onto each of the 49 days. After the first six days, one also includes the number of weeks that one has counted. For example: As we count, may we reflect on how we might bring each of these Hayom [sh’losha asar] yom, she’hem shavuah [echad] v’[shisha] yamim la’Omer Our religious response to climate change. pairs of virtues to the struggle for environmental justice. Today is [13] days, which is [one] week and [six] days of the Omer. Pesach We begin counting the Omer at the second seder. As we open the door tonight for the prophet Elijah, who 28 brings hope for a redeemed world, how can we also open ourselves to a journey through the #ClimateOmer this year? MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SHABBAT SUNDAY Chesed: loving kindness Gevurah: discipline Tiferet: beauty/harmony Netzach: eternity Hod: splendor Yesod: foundation Malkhut: leadership MARCH Pesach Pesach Pesach APRIL Pesach Pesach Pesach (for some) Pesach closes the season29 Join our friends at 30 Our tradition 31 Whose land 1 Trees are blossoming 2 Rabbi Ari Hart offers this3 The Rev. Dr. Martin 4 when our daily prayers Virginia IPL today at noon teaches us to extend are you on? As we reflect earlier every spring in our loving kindness practice Luther King, Jr. z”l went praise G-d for causing for an online discussion loving kindness to baalei on loving kindness across damaged climate. Behold through Avodah: While to Memphis to advocate wind to blow. Support of how the spiritual chayim, living creatures. time today, learn from the splendor and fragility walking ... today, look at for sanitation workers, wind power through discipline of counting the At 6 pm, join Jewish these Jews on Ohlone of spring blossoms every single person you and was killed on April 4, your energy bills! In DC Omer can sustain us in Veg for an online animal land about ways to honor around you today, and can and whisper or think 1968. Consider our own d: loving kindness or MD, sign up for 100% our work to welfare “seder:” the first caretakers of the recite Birkat ha-Ilanot, a the phrase from Psalms: call here today to work green-e wind: Green-e. repair our climate: bit.ly/jewishvegzeder lands where we live: blessing for fruit trees: “Avaksha tov lach - I wish for climate and racial Chese org/certified-resources bit.ly/Omerdiscussion bit.ly/JOOL_JYCA4 bit.ly/birkat_hailanot5 the best6 for you.” justice: bit.ly/envjusticevid Many hands grow “Those2 who sow in 3 Play a mindful role in Open your Shabbat Rabbi Alana Alpert G-d “brings7 forth 1 Yom HaShoah your food with loving 5 tears will reap in joy.” 6 On this Holocaust 7 the eternal water cycle8 dinner tonight with a 9 offers this practice 10 bread from the 11 discipline. Learn how (Ps. 126:5) Remembrance Day, by stewarding the rain land acknowledgement, through Avodah: Grip Earth” with the help new legislation begins to The discipline of growing listen to “Dreaming that falls on your home. a powerful discipline for everything left over from of many human hands. discipline repair decades of injustice food is good for the soul. Birds,” a lullaby from Look up stormwater grant honoring the original the to-do list ... exhale, Consider purchasing to Black farmers. Now is the time to plant the Vilna ghetto. programs: DC RiverSmart caretakers of the places release your hands and produce from one of the How can your community beans, cantaloupe, swiss Remember how we have Homes, Montgomery we live. Look up whose say “I forgive myself and many Black-owned farms reckon with the legacy of chard, and eggplant: prevailed through loss Co. RainScapes, Prince land you’re on: everyone else for all in our communities: Gevurah: Gevurah: structural racism? GreenAmerica.org/ and grief: NeoHasid.org/ George’s Co. Stormwater Native-Land.ca that is left undone. I give bit.ly/Black-OwnedFarms bit.ly/farmloanrelief climate-victory-gardens audio/dremlen_feygl/ Stewardship thanks for ... rest.” Rosh 8Chodesh Iyyar Rosh Chodesh9 Iyyar 10Celebrate the Through11 Dayenu, 12“We have this 13Rabbi George 14What role does We say Hallel today, 12 Today is the first 13 multiplying beauty 14 American Jewish 15 unique opportunity 16 Wielechowski offers17 your community 18 and “praise the One day of the holy month of native plants today, communities are calling to dismantle systems this harmony practice play in repairing our who made the sun ... of Ramadan for our whose growth can on their legislators to of oppression and through Avodah: climate? Get involved Your loving kindness is Muslim neighbors. support hundreds of pass strong climate policy build something new in Spend time in hitbodedut, with our green work, and forever!” Ramadan Mubarak! Study interconnected species in Congress. its place.” contemplative solitude — join together with other Pay a BGE or Pepco bill? some of the Islamic in our ecosystem. Add your voice, and start Prepare for Shabbat with in nature, if you can. Bring “green sheep” through : beauty/harmony Subscribe to community teachings that inform Find plants that will do or join a Dayenu Circle a call to action from Isha along a couple words or IPL-DMV: bit.ly/IPLsignup. solar: NSunSolar.com/ipl a Muslim response to the most good in your for ongoing action: Clarke, a young Black a melody to keep you Follow and share our Tiferet climate change: zip code: NWF.org/ Dayenu.org Jewish climate activist: company. work on social media nativeplantfinder bit.ly/IshaClarke @IPLdmv. 15 16bit.ly/40greenhadith 17 18 19 20 21 not. all other links are case sensitive; URLs that begin with bit.ly are MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SHABBAT SUNDAY Chesed: loving kindness Gevurah: discipline Tiferet: beauty/harmony Netzach: eternity Hod: splendor Yesod: foundation Malkhut: leadership Tonight at 7 pm, join Tonight at 8 pm, a Live out the On this Earth Day, This Shabbat, take Rabbi Elliot Kukla So many Jews in local Jewish green 19 national network of 20 Jewish principle of 21 learn how faith 22 some time to be 23 offers this 24 this generation are 25 leaders working together grassroots Jewish bal taschit by using energy communities here in like a “tree planted by the endurance practice coming together to with loving kindness to climate leaders will have mindfully. Weatherize our region and around water” (Ps. 1:3), grounded through Avodah: preserve our world preserve our world for their monthly call to at home: DIY tips: bit.ly/ the world are coming in nature and connected Reclaim the radical roots for eternity. : eternity eternity. RSVP for JCAN- speak out for climate weatherizehome, together to repair our with those you love. of self-care ... tend to Join JCAN-MA today for or hire pros: DCSEU. DMV’s online meeting: action in Congress. world: EarthDay.org/faith yourself as if you are the the Third Jewish Climate com/homes, Leap-VA.org/ Netzach bit.ly/apriljcandmv or Email contact@ services, EnergyPrograms. most precious seedling Change Conference, 12-8 email jcan-dmv+subscribe jewishearthalliance.org CivicWorks.com/ipl or mysterious wild animal pm: bit.ly/jcan425 @googlegroups.com to register. you have ever met. 22Pesach Sheni 23There’s no splendor 24Visit a local 25A better world is 26Lag BaOmer 27Rabbi Lizzi MAY 28We bless our food as Get connected to 26 in green lawns that 27 community garden 28 on her way. 29 This Shabbat, let the 30 Heydemann offers this 1 bread from the Earth, 2 a grassroots group host only one species today! Bring splendor of creation splendor practice fruit of tree or vine. that’s advocating for and are covered Behold the beauty and this hopeful song by exist without your through Avodah: Connect with locally climate repair locally: in chemicals. Cultivate splendor of neighbors Jewish musician Aly interference. Free-write your way to grown food this week. SunriseMovement.org/ grounds hospitable to growing food together: Halpert to your Lag Observe the original prayer, Anne Lamott- Join a community- : foundation bit.ly/DCgardens, hubs, wildlife at home: BaOmer picnic or bonfire: Buy Nothing Day and style ... starting with supported ag group: bit.ly/Baltimoregardens ChesapeakeClimate.org, bit.ly/greenergrounds, and bit.ly/sheisonherway consider how you might “Help ...” then “Thanks ...” LocalHarvest.org or get Yesod SierraClub.org/chapters at shul: make greener purchasing and finally “Wow!” What rescued produce weekly: 2930bit.ly/sacredshulgrounds 31 32 decisions:33 GreenPages.org 34opens up? 35HungryHarvest.net Listen to this Nourish the soil We are commanded So many Jewish It can be hard to talk Rabbi Rachel Van Thyn Planning meals conversation with 3 (adamah) from which 4 to love G-d with all 5 communities are 6 about climate change.
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