It is hard to believe that Passover was just a few short weeks ago, but we are well into the spring now. The flowers are in bloom, the skies are clear and we feel refreshed. With the striking beauty of G-d’s handiwork surrounding us, many of us find it a good time to count our blessings. For Jews, this is as easy as one, two, three!

We prepare spiritually to receive the Holy Torah on Mount Sinai by counting the Omer, the seven weeks beginning on the second day of Passover until Shavuot. During this time, we refrain from joyful activities such as shaving, haircuts, weddings, music and dancing so that we can make the mental and emotional journey to Mt. Sinai. On Shavuot we bear witness as Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah from G-d. Tradition tells us that all Jewish souls, past, present and future were in attendance at this miracle. The deliberate counting, known as the Sefirat Ha’Omer, is a time of serious introspection of our ways so that we can correct and improve our own conduct, especially as we continue to face challenges.

And there is no doubt that we live in challenging times, however, I am pleased to inform you that here at Kneseth Israel, we are holding our own. Let me count the ways.

1. We just finished a beautiful and meaningful eight days of Passover
2. We are counting the Omer together with our Congregational families
3. On Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Memorial Day, we had the honor of hearing a survivor of the Holocaust recount the compelling and moving story of his experience as he jumped off the train, saving one more Jewish soul from extinction. Also we will add one more book to our library which I would encourage everyone to read. It is entitled, Lidingo: Memories of the small Swedish haven which 120 girls called home after the holocaust by author and Holocaust survivor Chana Mantel.
4. We began Rosh Chodesh Iyar, a two-day celebration.
5. Coincidentally, Rosh Chodesh was on April 15^th, Tax day when everything is counted. The first of Iyar was also the date that King Solomon began building the first temple and also the same date that the building (avoda) of the second temple began. In the second year, the first of Iyar was when G-d told Moses to count all the Jews according to their families after they left Egypt. This was the first census which took twenty days to complete. This year, the US Census will count every resident of the country, as is done every ten years. The outcome of these numbers will determine where the $400 billion of Federal funds will go in order to help the budgets of hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, emergency services, bridges and tunnels throughout the county.
6. Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) on April 18th followed immediately by Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) a celebration of Israel’s 62^nd birthday on April 19^th, when we simultaneously count our beloved losses and then our glorious freedom
7. Do you know how many muscles it takes to smile? With 43 muscles in the face, you use about half of them to smile. So smile a lot. On April 27^th, come see Michael Rossman entertain us with enough comedy and juggling to make you smile all day long.
8. On April 28^th, the 14^th of Iyar we celebrate Pesach Sheini. This is so Jews who couldn’t sacrifice the Korban Pesach on the 14^th of Nisan because they may have been impure or lived too far away, had another chance to do it. Many celebrate by eating Matzah. Yes, matzah again. We can never have too much matzah!
9. On the 33^rd day of the Sefirat we celebrate Lag B’Omer. In the middle of a plague that took the lives of 24,000 students of the great Rabbi Akiva during the Roman times, they stopped dying on the 33^rd day of the Omer. The prohibitions of the Omer (haircuts, new clothes, weddings, etc) are lifted on this day in celebration of the miracle. It is also a time of remembrance of Shimon Bar Yochai, a disciple of Rabbi Akiva’s who did not perish from the plague, but who died on this date. In his book, the Zochar, he revealed many secrets of Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). He is buried in Meron and each year to honor him and his son Rabbi Elazar with merriment thousands flock to his tomb. Instead of mourning, it is a time of great celebration highlighted by bonfires, archery and picnics and music.
10. A celebration of Mother’s Day is May 9^th. And while it is impossible to count all the Jewish Mother Jokes there are, here is one for you to enjoy

A recording from a Jewish Mother's Answering Machine:
If you want chicken soup, press 1;
If you want matzoh balls with the soup, press 2;
If you want varnishkas, dial 3;
If you want knishes press 4;
If you want to know how am I feeling, you are calling the wrong number since nobody ever asks me how I am feeling.

11. On the 12^th of May, we celebrate Yom Yerushalim, Jerusalem Reunification day. We remain strong and know that no political party can divide our God given The Holy City of Jerusalem. In his March 22nd Speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu asserted: "The connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied. The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital."
12. As the counting of the Omer concludes, we will virtually gather at the foot of Mount Sinai together on May 18 – 20^th for Shavuot to receive the Torah. Yizkor will be recited at approximately 10:30.
13. You count! In the classes here at Kneseth Israel, your participation is key to making every class fun and informative. We recently completed the SAT (Spiritual Aptitude Topics) learning one hundred of the most common words to boost your literacy and your confidence in prayer. The next classes will cover halachot, the Jewish laws of everyday life, 613 to be exact. Please join us for an uplifting and enjoyable session.
14. And we learn in Parsha Tazria Metzora the lessons of Lashon Hora, evil gossip. A book of eight compelling stories on the impact of the words we say can be found in a children’s book entitled, "One Word Too Many" by author Elisheva Amar.

So, let’s sum it up this way.... It is said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, individually we are terrific and wonderful, but when we work together, pray together, celebrate together and support one another, as we do here at Kneset Israel, we add up to something even greater than ourselves.

Be a part of Kneseth Israel and make a difference!