The 16th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Wednesday night. Tonight we count two weeks and two days of the Omer.

This is the day of Gevurah within Tiferet, discipline within balance. On this day, I am thinking about how my life feels more balanced and more splendid when I am able to maintain the self-discipline of doing the difficult things that make me feel good about myself.  I think about how often I ask my children, "Are you doing what you're supposed to be doing?" and how much better I feel when I can answer that question positively myself.

On this 16th day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to make wise choices that lead to my own sense of having a balanced and satisfying life. I choose to focus on the pursuits that bring me closer to that sense of radiant connection to the divine.

May this be a day in which you find your own radiant center by making good choices and judgments over your life.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 15th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Tuesday night. Tonight we count two weeks and one day of the Omer.

This is the day of Chesed within Tiferet, love within balance. On this day, I am thinking about how my loving relationships help me to find balance and peace in my life. I think about how when these relationships are out of balance – because of anger, resentment, misunderstanding, stress or a difficult situation – I feel the loss of peace in my entire body and soul.

On this 15th day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to be mindful of the ways that I express and receive love, and to consider how they help me achieve a sense of harmony in my life. I will take care to notice ways that needy, selfish or demanding expressions of love are actually disruptive to my peacefulness and work to transform them.

May this be a day in which you find a sense of balance through your healthy loving relationships.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

These were my remarks at the opening of the exhibit, "The Courage to Remember," at the Blake Library in Stuart, Florida, on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.


On behalf of Temple Beit HaYam, I thank everyone who has come here today to the opening of this important exhibit and this ceremony of remembrance. I particularly thank my partners in bringing this event to the Blake Library: Sara Johnson of the Martin County Public Library system, and Ted Gover of the Foundation for California, our master of ceremonies. It has been a pleasure working with you to make today happen.

Today is Yom HaShoah, the day on the Jewish calendar for Holocaust Remembrance. Temple Beit HaYam has forgone the service that we usually observe in the Temple on this date in order to  be a part of this public ceremony. It was an easy choice. The memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis – along with the nearly six million Romani, Slavs, prisoners of war, the disabled, homosexuals, communists and Jehovah's Witnesses who were murdered by the Nazis – is not a memory entrusted only to the Jews. We are here in one of our community’s most treasured places of civic engagement because the memory of the Nazis’ victims is for all of us to keep. We remember together a central theme of this day: Never again.

Yom HaShoah always falls in the week following Passover, our holiday of freedom that celebrates God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Jews celebrate Passover with a seder, a festive meal with symbolic foods representing the bitterness of slavery and sweetness of freedom. 

This year for Passover, my family joined with some of our new relatives around the Passover table. You see, my brother-in-law got married two days before Passover began to a nice Jewish woman in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. So, our seder included not only our usual collection of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, it also included my new sister-in-law’s family, including her German-born father and her German Lutheran uncle and two aunts who made the trip from Germany for the wedding. 

The guests from Germany had never been to a Passover seder, but they were delighted when we asked them to recite the famous Four Questions in German. We were all happy to have them participate in our joyous and sacred occasion.

Why do I mention this on Yom HaShoah? I was raised on stories of my family’s escape during World War II. My grandparents and their three children – my mother and her two brothers were all under three years old – fled Paris two days before the German army entered. As Jews, they knew that their very lives depended on staying ahead of the Nazi army. 

When I was a child, I heard my grandfather tell me about his three sisters who were taken by the Nazis from their native town of Nagykároly, Hungary, and these three women in their 20s and 30s died in the fetid squalor of the cattle cars. Or, so my grandfather told me. Even as I child, I understood that my grandfather’s description of his sisters’ murders may have been a matter of wishful thinking. He may not have been able to bear the thought that they may have died in the terror of Auschwitz’s gas chambers. 

Yet, despite my history and upbringing, this Passover I sat around a seder table with my new German cousins in celebration and with love. Why do I mention this on Yom HaShoah? It is because I believe that “Never again,” is only one of the lessons of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was not just the greatest disaster in the history of the Jewish people. It was the greatest disaster in the history of the human race. It is not just for Jews to remember the Holocaust; it is for all humanity. The memory of the Holocaust unifies us. It reminds us that the very survival of the human race requires us to see each other as brothers and sisters. That is the second great message of this day. 

There is little if any enmity between Jews and Germans today. Germany is one of Israel’s strongest supporters and partners, with cooperation on a number of cultural, trade, scientific and military programs. If there can be reconciliation and friendship between Germans and Jews just 70 years after the Holocaust, if a rabbi who is the son and grandson of people who narrowly escaped death during the Holocaust can sit joyfully with his German Christian relatives at a Passover seder, then there is hope that the lesson has been learned, at least in part. 

Today, part of the legacy of the greatest catastrophe in the history of the human race should be for us to know and to care about each other. It is for us to come together in recognition that we are all children of the same God. Today, we say, “Never again,” and we also say, let there be no barriers that prevent us from seeing each other as brothers and sisters.

Thank you. 

The 14th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Monday night.  Tonight, we count two weeks of the Omer. 

This is the day of Malchut within Gevurah, nobility within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about how, when I set limits for myself and practice wise restraint, I not only keep myself from harm, I also discover what is best and most noble within me.

People often think that excellence comes with throwing off restraints and living without limits. In reality, though, living without boundaries is the antithesis of greatness. Limits are the way we discipline and focus ourselves. People who act as if nothing is off limits often enter into self-destructive cycles in which they becomes slaves to their own desires. In contrast, those who have the ability to restrain themselves from chasing after every whim create within themselves the spiritual pathways to excel in the ways that really matter. Often, discovering our best and most noble selves is more about saying "no" than it is about saying "yes." 

On this 14th day of the Counting of the Omer, I recommit myself to trying to live with discernment and discipline. I recognize that I become the champion of my life when I guard my behavior and keep myself from chasing after desires that do me no good. By disciplining myself in what I eat, what I say, what I do with my time, how I treat others – and even in what I choose to think about – I hope to come closer to my own most noble self.

May this be a day in which you renew your commitment to set the boundaries that make you feel proud of who you are and the way you live your life.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 13th day of the Counting of the Omer begins on Sunday night – making one week and six days of the Omer. It is the day most people call Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, but the official name of this day is Yom HaZikaron laShoah v'laG'vurah, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.

This is the day of Yesod within Gevurah, connection within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about how self-reliance alone does not make a person strong. Real strength and discipline comes from the ways in which we form relationships with others, connecting with the strengths and the abilities of those around us. 

On this 13th day of the Counting of the Omer, I am aware that I sometimes make the mistake of trying to "go it alone," thinking that I am better off doing things myself. I forget that including others in my efforts not only strengthens the community, it also opens opportunities to see things from new perspective and with new ideas. I make a commitment today to stay connected to the people around me as I work to reach my goals.

When the Israeli Knesset created this day of Holocaust remembrance, they wanted to make sure that we would not think of the Holocaust only as a time when Jews were victims. They wanted to make sure that we would remember acts of courage and valor by people who resisted the Nazis and Nazism. Today, I remember the heroism of those who, in a time of horror and inhumanity, had the resolve to act to save themselves, their families, their community, and the spirit of humanity.

May this be a day in which your strength is magnified by your connection to others and your foundation in community.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 12th day of the Counting of the Omer begins as Shabbat ends on Saturday night. Tonight we count one week and five days of the Omer.

This is the day of Hod within Gevurah, humility within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about how I use my strength with humility and awareness of the needs of others. I think about how, even when I am convinced that I am right and ready to apply my energies as I intend, I must appreciate other points of view and the possibility (gulp) that I am wrong.

On this 12th day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to temper my self-discipline with the joy of knowing that I never really act alone. I remember that I am always a part of something larger – a family, a community, humanity, and God's creation. Whatever power I exercise or authority I am granted, I can only use it for good when I use it for the sake of the larger world around me.

May this be a day in which you discover your greatest power in awareness that you are part of God's creation.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The 11th day of the Counting of the Omer begins with Shabbat on Friday night. Tonight we count one week and four days of the Omer.

This is the day of Netzach within Gevurah, endurance within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about how I apply myself toward long-term goals, not just my immediate necessities. I think about how, in order to "keep my eyes on the prize," I must know what my mission and values are. I consider that keeping a focus on long-term goals requires discipline to see through the fog of daily distractions.

On this 11th day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to mindful appreciation of the goals ahead me and the determination to reach them. I think also about how my self-discipline can be tempered by an awareness that the journey is long. It is not up to me to accomplish every goal today, even if – as the sages say – that is not an excuse not to try (Pirkei Avot 2:16).

May this be a day in which you find vision and strength to reach toward your long-term goals.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The tenth day of the Counting of the Omer – making one week and three days – begins Thursday night.

It is the day of Tiferet within Gevurah, balance within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about finding peace within myself as I do the work of becoming the person I want to be. I reflect on how this week’s Torah portion (Kedoshim) calls us to be holy just by being our best selves and doing ordinary acts of compassion and ethical living.

I realize that there is a paradox in all my efforts toward self-improvement. The more I struggle to be something other than myself, the more I discover the futility of the effort. I can only be who I am. 

Just like a person working toward a yoga pose, I find that it is only possible to achieve my personal goals when I release myself from the idea that it should be a “struggle." The most authentic way to live my life – my most authentic pose – happens when I just allow my best self to emerge from my reality. Trying to force an identity, or a pose, that is not grounded in the truth about myself can only be self-defeating.

On this tenth day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to be aware of my reality – who I am, where I am, and what I am capable of doing – as I strive to govern my life and reach toward my potential. I think about the peace that comes with self-acceptance, the inner strength that comes with knowing that I am sufficient being who I am. I also try to be aware that the same is true for everyone else around me. All the people I encounter today are the same as I am – beings who are sufficient and miraculous, trying their best to be themselves.

We read in the Torah this week that the commandment, “You shall be holy” (Leviticus 19:2), does not require superhuman acts of piety and sanctity. Rather, it just means doing the things that are within all of us: honoring our parents, caring for the needy, respecting other people’s needs, being fair and honest, and treating the stranger with kindness. Being holy just means being yourself.

May you be blessed this day in find your own best self by being who you are.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The ninth day of the Counting of the Omer – making one week and two days – begins Wednesday night. It is also the yahrtzeit of my grandmother, Irma Guthman Goldwasser, ז׳׳ל.

It is the day of Gevurah within Gevurah, discipline within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about the discipline I use in exercising power and authority. I consider the judgment I use in directing, advising, teaching and reproving other people. I recognize that I am a better parent when I am measured and controlled in offering guidance and in setting and enforcing limits for my children.

On this ninth day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to be mindful of ways that my use of power can become skewed by the desire for more power, and the way that my use of authority can be distorted by anger, fear, pride or jealousy. I also think about having the inner strength to use my power and abilities to address wrongs and to confront evil in the world. 

My grandmother was one of the last of her kind – a proud and proper German-Jewish lady of the American South. She was a formidable presence in the Jewish community of Atlanta, Georgia. Although she would have nothing to do with such spiritual nonsense as the Counting of the Omer, the meaning of this day's Omer counting fits her like a glove. Irma Goldwasser was disciplined – in the way she spoke, the way she dressed, the way she conducted business, the way she supported the arts and Jewish institutions, and in the way that she looked after the people she cared about. Zichronah livrachah, may her memory be a blessing.

May you be blessed this day in the way you set a course for yourself to be wise and just in your use of your many powers and abilities.


For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer

The eighth day of the Counting of the Omer – making one week and one day – begins Tuesday night. 

It is the day of Chesed within Gevurah, love within discipline. On this day, I am thinking about how I apply principles of compassion and kindness in the ways I set limits and enforce standards. I think about how I make sure that I am kind to people when I offer guidance and judgment. I consider how I am a better parent when I let my children know that they are loved at the same time as I help them to become better people.

On this eighth day of the Counting of the Omer, I make a commitment to act with "tough love," but, even more, to make sure that the love I show in those tough moments is real, deep, and more focussed on the needs of others than on my desires. I also think about exercising compassionate discipline with myself – remembering my limitations and faults even while I try to hold myself to high standards.

May this be a day for you in which you allow your heart to soften when you are faced with hard choices.

For the introduction to the Counting of the Omer, click on this link:
The First Day of the Counting of the Omer