The Omer Song

Come on now, count the OmerFrom the second day of Passover until Shavuot, Jews count seven weeks – seven times seven days – to commemorate the period between the Exodus from Egypt and the Revelation at Sinai. When the Temple stood, a certain measure (omer) of barley was offered on the altar each day; today, we merely count out the days.
You can count the Omer
Come on now, count the Omer
1, 2, 3, 4 Count with me!           

During the time the Temple stood            
Folks would come on by
Offering a barley sheaf as a way to sanctify
Life which should be rich and full
And never, never rote…
Come on, let’s count the days between
PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc). and ShavuotShavuot is the holiday fifty days after Passover and commemorates when the Israelite liberation from Egypt culminates with the giving of the Torah. Traditionally, Jews study in an all-night study session, eat dairy products (one interpretation is that the Torah is like milk to us), and read both the Ten Commandments and the Book of Ruth..

Now, now, now (Chorus)           

The 2^nd night of Passover is when you want to start
Do it with intention and with an open heart.
Count those days as they pass, a blessing every one
Counting’s not a drudgery, it’s really lots of fun…

Now, now, now (Chorus)

Think of us as having just left Egypt (a narrow place)
Liberation’s precious, not a gift to waste
Think about the ways in which we can do our share
The world still needs all of us to work on its repair…

Now, now, now (Chorus)

When the sun goes down at night, that’s when you want to say
The special prayer for counting, then announce that special day
The tide will ebb, the tide will flow, nothing new under the sun
49 days will come and go, and you’ll notice every one! 

Now, now, now (Chorus)

Song by Juliet I. Spitzer, performed by MIRAJ.