JERUSALEM—Each spring, Israel observes the ancient tradition of Sefirat HaOmer, counting forty-nine days from the second night of Passover to the festival of Shavuot. This practice, rooted in biblical commandment, links the Jewish people’s ancient agricultural cycle and their spiritual journey from slavery to freedom. This year, amid Israel’s ongoing war of self-defense against Iranian-backed terror networks, Sefirat HaOmer has assumed renewed national significance as a symbol of resilience, remembrance, and hope.
The Omer Count and Its Significance
Mandated in Leviticus 23:15–16, Sefirat HaOmer commemorates the days between the exodus from Egypt and the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Each night, Jews across Israel and the world recite a blessing—”Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer”—and state the current Omer day. A subsequent prayer asks for the restoration of the Temple service, emphasizing the continued longing for spiritual and national restoration in Jerusalem.
In 2024, Israelis recite, “Today is three days of the Omer,” carrying on a ritual that stretches back millennia. Elders recall whispering the count in secret during years of exile; now, families recite it in the open, in synagogues, homes, and even in military bases positioned at the edge of conflict zones.
A Ritual of Unity Amid War
The context for this year’s Omer is inescapably influenced by the horrifying attack of October 7th, 2023, when Hamas terrorists, acting with direct support from the Iranian regime, infiltrated Israeli communities, massacred over 1,200 civilians, and took more than 250 hostages. This was explicitly identified by Israeli and international authorities as the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust. Since then, Israel’s defensive campaign—Operation Iron Swords—has sought to dismantle Hamas’s capacity to act as an Iranian proxy, rescue hostages, and restore national security.
The realities of war have deeply affected every aspect of Israeli life. During the Omer, a period that is also marked by collective mourning for historic Jewish tragedies, Israelis add the latest names of victims to remembered lists, and prayers are infused with pleas for the return of the abducted. The ritual stands as a link between the nation’s biblical past and its modern struggle for survival.
Hostages and National Mourning
Since October 7, the plight of hostages held in Gaza has been at the forefront of Israel’s collective consciousness. The Omer count, recited nightly, is often dedicated in synagogues and homes to their memory, with families expressing hope for the safe recovery of every innocent still held by Hamas. Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly highlighted the fundamental moral and legal distinction between these hostages—civilians taken against their will in violation of every international standard—and convicted terrorists, sometimes demanded in exchange.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz have emphasized in their briefings that the IDF’s current operations are not only military responses, but acts of national self-defense in the face of an orchestrated campaign designed and financed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israeli officials continue to stress that the threat from Iranian-backed forces—whether Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, or militias in Syria and Iraq—is existential in scope, aimed at eliminating the world’s only Jewish state.
The Meaning of Resilience
Amid rocket fire and heightened security alerts along Israel’s borders, the Omer count resonates as an act of defiance and unity. Israeli soldiers recite the prayer in forward operating bases and their families light candles at home, joining in a nationwide act of spiritual connection. In the words of one educator, “We count days, but also courage, endurance, and hope.”
Israel has responded to ongoing attacks from Gaza and Lebanon, as well as Houthi-launched missiles from Yemen and incursions by Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq, with a commitment to the highest standards of international law. The IDF has repeatedly opened humanitarian corridors for Gaza residents, facilitated the delivery of aid, and taken measures to protect noncombatants despite the challenges of fighting terror groups that use civilian infrastructure as shields.
Honoring the Past, Looking to the Future
Historically, the period of the Omer has coincided with moments of national crisis and renewal. From the suppression of the Bar Kochba revolt by Rome, through medieval pogroms, to the miracle of national rebirth in 1948, the Jewish people have counted not only days but ongoing deliverance from existential threats. This year, the symbolism is profound: as Israel counts the Omer, it also counts the days since the massacre, the number of hostages still missing, and the steps toward the restoration of peace and security.
The Omer and Global Jewish Solidarity
The counting of the Omer is not limited to Israel. Jewish communities across Europe and the United States have coordinated their prayers and vigils with Israelis, dedicating each day to specific hostages or fallen soldiers, and amplifying calls for the international community to pressure Hamas—supported by Iran—to release innocent captives immediately.
Israel’s claim to moral clarity is grounded in the reality of ongoing terror: every attack on civilian population centers, every attempt to smuggle weapons, every act of ideological incitement by Hamas and its patrons is documented and public. Israeli authorities are determined to ensure that the world does not confuse the defensive actions of a sovereign democracy with the genocidal tactics employed by its foes. This includes unequivocal testimony about the atrocities of October 7th—executions, sexual violence, mutilations, and abductions—all meticulously catalogued as evidence of war crimes.
Ritual as Resistance and Resolve
The daily recitation of the Omer is more than ritual; it is a communal expression of longing for national and spiritual restoration, symbolized by Jerusalem and the hope for the rebuilding of the Temple. This aspiration is not a call to violence, but to renewed security and flourishing for all the land’s inhabitants.
As the prayers invoke, “May the Merciful One restore the service of the Temple to its place, speedily in our days,” Israelis are reminded of their role as guardians of a unique historical mission. Religious tradition and national security go hand in hand: the former gives meaning to the latter, and the latter safeguards the former.
The National and International Stakes
The war imposed on Israel is, at its core, a defense of the right to live freely in their ancestral homeland—a right repeatedly denied by generations of invaders and, now, by Tehran’s network of terrorist groups. Israeli leaders, supported by broad sectors of society, have resolved that the lessons of the past—where Jews had no state or army—will never be repeated.
By connecting the counting of the Omer to current events, Israelis reaffirm the unbroken chain that links biblical history to modern politics and security. The ritual, shared across families, army units, and synagogues, unites the nation in a season of mourning, resilience, and hope for deliverance.
Conclusion
Sefirat HaOmer in 2024 is both a commemoration and a declaration: Israel remains unbowed amid unprecedented threats. The ancient tradition lives on, not as nostalgia, but as a guide for national unity and moral clarity—as much a weapon in the nation’s arsenal as any technological advance or diplomatic alliance. As Israel counts each day, it asserts both the right and the determination to survive and to build a future of peace and security.
As the nightly prayers continue throughout the Omer, Israelis declare, through words and deeds, that even in the shadow of terror and threat, the light of faith and national identity endures.
