Lag BaOmer

Back when I was growing up in Cleveland Ohio, Lag B’omer was a great excuse for a school trip. While I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it, the countdown to Lag B’omer was nearly as fervent as the countdown to Shavuot. Up until about fourth grade we’d only go to some big park. But then we [...]

For most of my adult life I remember that early sightings of Christmas decorations near my suburban NJ home were a sign that Thanksgiving was coming. In my childhood, the opposite was true – Thanksgiving was the official start of the Christmas (“Holiday”) season, ushering in sales and the beginning of public decorations. It never [...]

Where does the name come from? The Day is given its name by its count in Sefirat HaOmer, which is thirty-three. How so? – You ask. Like so: The numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letter “lamed” is thirty. Similarly, the numerical equivalent of the letter “gimmel” is three. By higher mathematics, and the use of [...]

The Day is given its name by its count in Sefirat HaOmer, which is thirty-three. How so? – You ask. Like so: The numerical equivalent of the Hebrew letter “lamed” is thirty. Similarly, the numerical equivalent of the letter “gimmel” is three. By higher mathematics, and the use of a high-powered calculator, the sum is [...]