The omer is the 49 day span that goes from the second night of Passover until first night of Shavuot. It is a time of inner spiritual growth and introspection.

The term "omer" refers to an ancient measure of grain. In ancient times a new barley crop could not be utilized until an omer of barley was brought as an offering to the Temple of Jerusalem. The counting of the days of the omer became a ritual of physical and spiritual redemption. After the Temple was destroyed the Counting of the Omer continued as a spritual practice.

The Counting of the Omer is a systematic process where each of the 49 days has its own spiritual theme. The process takes us on a journey of reflection and discovery as we wander the desert following the Exodus.

Rabbi Menachem Cohen will explain how and why we count the Omer at our next event as follows: