Today’s day of the Omer is exciting for me because I’ve arrived at Sandy Hill Retreat Center for a weekend of ruach, fun, meaningful Jewish educational experiences (well that’s the goal) and being in a community of practice surrounded by inspiring, passionate, devoted, individuals. I could not be more excited and could not find a day better suited to be called a day of “harmony and connection”. While I do not dot those two traits will be able to describe the weekend going forward, I am starting off tonight with them in mind as a goal.
I’m going to use some double meanings for harmony to relate to day 19 of the Omer. It is every person’s responsibility to do a little good every day in order to put a little more good into the world. Call it good vibes, call it karma, call it kadosh/holiness- I’ve always believed that when putting goodness out into the air, it has the endurance to stay there. If everyone thought about doing a little good, or putting a little good into the world every day, the world would be a more harmonious place.
It takes humility to do acts of compassion, to give of yourself selflessly, and to be conscious of doing so, and it is a trait that I admire. In the clip below, Joey is being a true mensch, offering to help Phoebe out of compassion for helping a friend, expecting nothing in return, and for the sole reason that he believes it is the right thing to do. You go, Joey.
Side note- speaking of harmony, HAPPY EARTH DAY. Enjoy the one of many pictures (in my life) of me hugging a tree with another pretty cool chica. (above)
I saw endurance and harmony as two important factors in arriving at an end goal . I am currently a part of a grad school program studying Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts that 1) takes endurance time-wise but also in that it is a process and we are always learning(!) and 2) it takes harmony to work together with each other as a cohort, with GW, with community members, and in action to make our passions for being educators and role models (in all of the different ways that we each envision that) into a reality.
More specifically, the program is a Masters in Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts (in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development). If you’re interested in learning more informally or know someone who would be, feel free to check out the group page here and if you’re interested, apply here 🙂
#TheChosenProgram
Smelly cat, the epitome of endurance and harmony: (I can’t even say that with a straight face…)
I’m going to switch up the meanings today and change compassion to passion- I think it’s important to follow your passions- no matter what that may be. Whether that be in what you study, where you work, or taking time every day to devote to yourself, it takes discipline to make sure you defend and direct positive energy and time into the things you care about. The picture above is a shoutout to Yael and Hannah who remind me to meditate, keep calm and enjoy stay true to my ridiculous nature-loving self 🙂
Omer day 16 with Friends is highlighted with Ross’s passion for science and Phoebe’s passions for… bugging Ross.
Shavua tov! Here’s Shabbat’s Omer ramblings as well as tonight’s.
Day 14 (2 weeks) : Malchut in Gevurah, Leadership in Discipline
I think it is fitting that the theme for the seventh day for each of the weeks is
“leadership” and that (this year) it coincides with Shabbat. Shabbat can be an individual experience, and there are many things that are personal about Shabbat (prayer, resting from the week, etc.), but community strengthens and and lifts Shabbat to a more powerful level. Shabbat is a difficult idea for many and the leaders and role models in all of our communities empower us to take a break, rejuvenate and take joy in the holiness of Shabbat.
(Joey and Chandler are really disciplined in their pursuit to relax)
Day 15 (2 weeks one day) : Chesed in Tiferet, Loving-kindness in Compassion/Harmony
Here’s a little harmony and a little chesed. I like everything on this website.
DON’T WORRY… I know this post is not on time (morning after, it still counts!), but I DID still count the omer last night so we are still on track. PHEW. I knew you were all worried.
The themes for the 13th day are a perfect day for me to not have posted a blog post on my regular schedule- you need commitment/discipline and a connection to a goal that spans along such a long time period, so here on the 13th day I’m recommitted to have a connection and be disciplined in my Omer blogging (and in my daily counting). I’m determined to count the Omer all the way through. 🙂
Side note/Added bonus:Â For me, the purpose of this blog is sharing something that has personal meaning in order to strengthen the bonds/connections that I have with the Omer and with all of you. By making my Omer counting public it is making me more disciplined and more connected. On that note, thank you to all of you for helping me keep up with the Omer!
Here are Joey and Ross (and then Monica and Rachel?), keeping up with something for a “really long time”.. almost as long as the Omer.
When people “discipline” others without humility/humbleness, that is when we run into situations when one thinks he or she is better than another. Tonight marks Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Holocaust was borne from arrogance, judgement, baseless hatred, and the simple (wrong) idea that one type of person could be born better than another. It is our responsibility to remember the 6 million Jews and 5 million other innocent lives that perished, to never forget and to never allow such catastrophes to happen again. I count Omer day 12 to honor their lives and to count them in Jewish memory.
Effective discipline (or anything) requires endurance and commitment. I think the combination of these two qualities is a good time for me to cite some other awesome Omer counting blogs/sources.
Partner in crime, Erin. Homer.
Or check out twitter: #omer.
..and my favorite this year, Omer on huffpost! (The omer is getting so much attention!)
With all that being said, here’s to a boost of endurance and commitment on day 11, and here’s a Friends clip of Chandler trying to show his endurance and commitment in his friendship to Joey. Enjoy!
Tonight the Friends Omer is brought to you by my not wanting to do anymore homework. (It’s just true, #gradschoollife sometimes needs a fun break, and why not with a little experiential Jewish fun? #gradschoolsuccess)
When I think of compassion in discipline, I think of the type of educator I want to be. Instead of being the disciplinarian, I want to be a role model who provides educational learning opportunities from positive and negative situations and take “discipline” out of the equation entirely. (You may have guessed by now that I’m going to make my own meanings out of these themes…) Role modeling and making meaningful experiences are two of the most important things to me as an educator, and they are always on my mind. It takes compassion, dedication, concentration, enthusiasm, and a lot of other qualities to constantly be in that right mindset. I have a lot of role models (I can’t thank you all by name, but I am surely thankful for you… you know who you are.)  who have inspired me to be a Jewish educator/dugma and who have provided me with the tools to venture into the Jewish education world. Both compassion and “discipline” are necessary links in the chain to provide meaningful (Jewish, experiential, educational) experiences and to insure the continuity of meaningful (Jewish, experiential, educational) experiences for future generations. That’s something I’m passionate about and I guess it’s a good reason to get back to my grad school homework, eh? Happy Omer day 10!
So, this is the kind of thing a “kid” would remember at school.
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.... 