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Omer 10: Grieving in a Gracious World
During the past several years, many people have reconnected to grief: personal, communal, worldwide. Among the painful things happening to people, populations, and the planet, a grace has permeated many spaces that recognize…
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Omer 9: Confusion in a Confident World
Life can sometimes feel like a balance between leaning into what I don’t know and trusting my experience enough to act. Often, people present confidence while still figuring out new information, methods, connections.…
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Omer 8: Slowing Down in a Speeding World
As the week begins, I’ve contemplated all the times when slowness brings depth to thought, vision to surroundings, rootedness and understanding to situations. As spring weather blossoms in NYC, there are many moments…
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Omer 7: Blooming in a Brutal World
Today I went to Wave Hill Garden in Riverdale where the spring flowers are blooming, the Hudson River and Palisades twinkle to the west under the sunlight, and bees are just beginning to…
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Omer 6: Intention in an Isolated World
The counting of the omer requires intention, remembering each day that time is in between two festivals marking harvests, marking seasons. The act of counting the omer connects a community of people tracking…
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Omer 5: Joy in a Jaded World
Tonite begins our Shabbos of khol hamoed peysekh – and we are invited to find joy in our rest, to step out of a jaded, jarring world into, as has been oft quoted,…
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Omer 4: Study in a Stalled World
The work of study – in my case, research and writing – is controversial in a money-driven, madly chaotic, menacingly complacent world. There are days when the weight of woes both public and…
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Omer 3: Rest in a Rushed World
After three days in a row that are given as Shabbos in the texts (that of actual Shabbos, plus the first two days of Pesach), yesterday was back to work. However, due to…
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Omer 2: Togetherness in a Torn-Apart World
After a late Seder, I enjoyed an afternoon on the pier studying Talmud with my chevrusa. We are in Tractate Berakhot, amidst a discussion about G!d’s presence among certain set numbers of people…
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Omer 1: Hope in a Hurting World
You’ll get two posts today since the first day of the omer was yesterday, so consider this your introduction. Along with many people, the last several days, weeks, months, truly years – I’ve…