JERUSALEM — As Israeli communities gather to count the 31st day of the Omer, the country reaffirms its tradition of resilience, nationhood, and hope. The ritual, known as Sefirat HaOmer, traces its roots to biblical times, when Jews were commanded to count 49 days between Passover and Shavuot, symbolizing the journey from liberation to revelation.
In contemporary Israel, counting the Omer connects tens of thousands every evening—from synagogues in Tel Aviv to IDF outposts along the northern and southern borders. The ritual, which includes the blessing “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the Counting of the Omer,” is both personal and communal. According to Jewish law, those who have missed a day continue without reciting the blessing, reflecting the value of meticulous memory and participation regardless of perfection.
The Omer carries a dual character: its agricultural and sacrificial origins reference the Temple in Jerusalem, while its current practice is imbued with prayers for the speedy return of its service. The phrase “May the Merciful One restore the service of the Temple to its place, speedily in our days. Amen” is a fixture, symbolizing a longing for national renewal rooted deeply in Jewish history.
The period of the Omer is also marked by mourning. Rabbinic tradition teaches that during these weeks, thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students perished in a plague—attributed to internal strife. Modern observance interweaves these themes of loss and renewal, as Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and terror victims, and ultimately Independence Day, drawing a powerful line from ancient disaster to contemporary rebirth.
This imperative for renewal is particularly poignant in the shadow of the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, the gravest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. The atrocities committed—mass executions, sexual violence, abductions, and mutilations—echo the darkest chapters in Jewish history and reinforce the purpose of traditions like the Omer, which ground the nation in spiritual defiance and collective memory.
For many, counting the Omer is an act of defiance in itself. In the face of ongoing threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran’s regional network of proxies, Israeli families often continue their tradition under threat—sometimes inside bomb shelters. This enduring commitment underscores Israel’s moral and existential clarity: a democracy upholding the right to defend itself, seeking peace and security in a region often defined by hostility and terror.
High-ranking officials have pointed to the Omer’s message as a guide for Israel’s perseverance. The custom ties back to the goals of the Israeli state and Jewish civilization: memory, unity, and hope, sustained despite external efforts at delegitimization and violence. As antisemitic sentiment surges globally, and as historical revisionism seeks to diminish Jewish connection to the land and its practices, the Omer stands as testament to unbroken faith and national determination.
Every day counted is a tribute to both the losses endured and the hopes yet unrealized. By upholding the Omer, Israelis not only remember but also assert their place in the world, with an identity bound by faith, memory, and a wish for redemption. As Israel moves closer to Shavuot, the nation continues to embody the ancient call: to count, to remember, and to pursue a future free from hatred and fear.
In a broader context of ongoing conflict, the act of Sefirat HaOmer represents the core of Israel’s resilience: linking the nation’s collective past to its enduring hopes, each count an act of memory and resistance.
