By Lisa Rosenblatt (5-5-09)

Today is twenty-six days, which is three weeks and five days of the Omer.

 

It is a tradition to count the days between Passover and Shavuot, as we mark our freedom from slavery and celebrate our freedom to accept Torah. This is called "counting the omer." This year we will observe the tradition of "counting the omer" by sharing stories about the many different ways that we have been turned on to Jewish learning, and through Jewish learning to Torah.

As many people know, I was raised at Temple Emanuel. I went to the Day School, was Bat Mizvahed, confirmed and I even taught in the Sunday school. My religious background was always a part of who I was. Then I went to college. It was my time to figure things out. I went to services occasionally but didn't really have a connection to Judaism. In fact, I kind of started to resent it.
 
When I moved back to Los Angeles after college I moved to the Valley and started to come over the hill to Cantor Cohon's Sunday Morning Minyan with my grandfather and my dad. Then my grandfather helped found the New Emanuel Minyan on Saturday mornings and I began to attend that service. Instead of the minyan being about religion, it became a time for me to be with my grandfather.
 
All Jewish holidays were more about family than Judaism. On second day Rosh Hashanah, my grandfather, sister and I always chanted the haftarah. Actually, he would chant and Amy and I would read the English translation. I would always get so nervous about getting up there with my grandfather because he had such a presence about him. Even though I was nervous at the same time, I loved to be up there with him. After he passed away, I began chanting torah at the New Emanuel Minyan and in the main sanctuary on High Holidays. I also started chanting the haftarah with my dad and my sister on second day Rosh Hashanah. My only regret is that my grandfather never got to hear or see me chant torah. Each time I chant torah though, I can feel him with me stronger than ever.
 
By Lisa Rosenblatt

These stories are brought to you by the Temple Emanuel RE-IMAGINE project, an 18-month initiative sponsored by Hebrew Union College, devoted to re-thinking and re-structuring our religious school.