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Counting the Omer: the Courage to Self-Examine 

17/04/2026

News from NOA | Date: 17 April 2026 

Between Pesach and Shavuot, Jewish tradition marks a period of counting forty-nine days known as the Omer. More than a simple ritual, this is a time of gradual introspection; as we count each of these forty-nine days, we are invited to reflect on how we and the world around us evolve as we move from the exodus of Passover to the receiving of the commandments honoured on Shavuot. 

In Kabbalistic tradition, the counting of the Omer is understood through the lens of the sefirot, a set of ethical and spiritual attributes. Each of the seven weeks of the Omer is associated with one of seven lower sefirot—chesed (loving-kindness), gevurah (strength), tiferet (harmony), netzach (endurance),  hod (humility), yesod (foundation), and malchut (sovereignty). Each day combines two of these attributes, creating forty-nine permutations: “loving-kindness within loving-kindness”, “strength within loving-kindness” and so on. 

In our work at NOA – Networks Overcoming Antisemitism, we often find ourselves returning to this idea of ongoing reflection. Addressing antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in Europe is not only about implementing ideas or policies; it is also about remaining attentive to how we think, act, and respond. In education, policy and public discourse alike, it can be easy to grow certain of our own perspectives and lose the ability to question our assumptions. 

The Omer gently reminds us that reflection is not something reserved for the beginning of a project or a single moment of pause, but something that can accompany us throughout. It invites us to engage with complexity, to listen and to remain open to change. 

As emphasised in the Guidelines for Fostering Jewish Life, building inclusive societies depends on continuous engagement and shared responsibility. In this sense, the Omer offers a simple but powerful practice: returning, again and again, to reflection, an ongoing, circular motion, much like the sefirot that make up the Tree of Life.