Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Sefira Memories... Free Email and/or Cellphone Sefira Reminders? Nu?

I didn't grow up as a Torah Jew.  I knew nothing of Sefirat HaOmer.  Even when I was becoming acquainted with the "period of s'fira" I don't remember ever hearing much about the counting of the 49 days from the beginning of Passover until Shavuot.  At some point I learned that you're not supposed to get a haircut or wear new clothes.  I also have some vague memory of my parents being told that we couldn't have my Bat Mitzvah on my birthday (late May,) but the reasons weren't clear at all.

And when did I find out, or realize that I'm supposed to count every night?  Good question.  So, obviously, I didn't raise my kids right in that sense.  One of my daughters once came back from babysitting all impressed, because the little kids knew to Count the Omer when they went to bed.

After a while, I did try to keep the mitzvah and count the Omer, but it took until the spring when my daughter was engaged for me to succeed for the very first time.  Our future son-in-law had us signed up on some free cellphone reminder service.  It was fantastic, except for Friday nights/Shabbat, when the phone was off, but somehow I did it!.  And since then I've gotten through to the end almost every year.

So, if you know how to sign up for email and free cell phone reminders, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.sefiracounter.com/

I really enjoy your posts. I have much the same Pesach change-over plan (except that Thurs nite I'll empty the kitchen cupboards, Friday's cleaning, Shabbat the oven and sinks will 'rest', mootzei Shabbat we'll unpack the Pesach boxes)
Chag kasher v'sameach
Ruth in London (who grew up a contemporary of Sharon Brem's sister Pnina in Auckland, NZ)

Batya said...

So nice to meet you. Thanks for the suggestion.
I hope you have more Pesach help than I do. For the past couple of years, just my husband and I do all the work.
chag sameach

Isreview said...

Another option is Tefillos.com
you have to go to http://www.tefillos.com/rebyid.asp and there should be a place to click to sign up via email for those outside the USA or Canada
good luck
חג שמח
---
Daniela
http://isreview1.blogspot.com