By Norma Glickman (5-10-09)

Today is thirty-one days, which is four weeks and three 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.

Ever since I joined Habonim - a Zionist youth movement - at the age of 11, I've loved being exposed to and learning Hebrew.  At first, there were just a few words: our counselors were Madrichim. The learning sessions were Sichot and  large gatherings are Asephot.   Simple greetings: Boker Tov/Good Morning, Laila Tov/Good Night, Shavua Tov/a Good Week (said after Shabbat ends), and b'te'avon/bon appetit, were soon familiar because we used them regularly.  But it was the songs that enthralled me the most - songs of the early Chalutzim and Bilu'im (Israeli pioneer groups) and Chassidic nigunim (wordless melodies) - which also started my lifelong love of singing. 

I must admit - a little shamefacedly - that although the general idea of what we were singing was explained, the exact meanings of individual words were soon forgotten. Yet the sheer joy of singing in Hebrew was never diminished.  

Years later, I began studying Hebrew as a language. In class, every time we learned a new word that I recognized from a song I had once sung phonetically - I would - to the great amusement of both my wonderfully patient Moreh (teacher) and my fellow students - give a rousing rendition of that song, whose meaning was suddenly perfectly clear.

In retrospect, I think an important reason for my teacher tolerating my enthusiastic outbursts was that, in reality, I was vividly and loudly demonstrating that our beloved ancient tongue remains a vibrant living language. 

By Norma Glickman

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.