Chag sameach um'shachrer!

[David Seidenberg]

Strange times, difficult times, scary times...

But also joyful times, wondrous times, important times...

Tonight is the seventh night of Passover, the sixth night of the Omer, when traditionally the Israelites crossed the Reed sea. Here's a ritual and poem for the crossing that you can use anytime through the end of the holiday: neohasid.org/resources/seventh/

Standing between Egypt's oppression and the desert's liberation, may we have the strength and courage to walk forward, even in the face of what may seem like mighty waters and roaring waves. 

Get the Omer Counter app if you don't have it yet:

https://www.neohasid.org/omer/apps/

And if you have a website, you can add a javascript widget that will display the count of the Omer for you and your visitors. There are four versions, large and small, text only, and artwork:

https://www.neohasid.org/omer/omercount/

May the one who is threatening war crimes be prevented from acting on his unholy impulses. May the peoples of Israel and Lebanon and Iran be well and protected and peaceful.

May the tyrants and denigrators of democracy be foiled and undone.

Speedily in our days, even right now, when we need it.

chag sameach um'shachrer and upcoming shabbat shalom,

David Seidenberg 

P.S. I gave a dvar Torah the past week on the Haggadah, blood, Ezekiel 16, and reading backwards. It also touches on the blood of the unholy and racist death penalty law passed by the Knesset and the blood of Jewish supremacist violence in the West Bank. Here's a link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOa7PeqqfhU

May both bloods vanish from the world, along with all forces that oppress strangers and outsiders.