From the 2nd day of Passover until Shavuot Jews count each day with a special prayer (49 days total). The time in between the holidays (Exodus from Egypt to receiving the Torah) is called the Omer. During the Omer people study pirkei avot, don’t shave (notice some of your rabbis will have longer beards), and don’t get haircuts. Personally, I am sporting a beard right now but I trim it for Shabbat, which is a common custom. Here is the wikipedia page on the Omer (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_of_the_Omer)
Many people have different ways for remembering to count the Omer. I have seen a Simpsons calendar, an IPhone App reminder, and the plain old going to synagogue and doing to at services. TGR had a Jewish sports response to counting the Omer. Below is your Jewish sports Omer counter. Enjoy.
1 – Jordan Farmar’s UCLA jersey number.
2 – Taylor Mays’ USC jersey number.
3 – Jerry Reinsdorf has won two 3-peat Championships with the Chicago Bulls.
4 – Jersey number of NBA Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes
5 – Jersey number of MLB Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg.
6 – Jersey number of Israeli basketball sensation Tal Brody.
7 – Jersey number of converted Jew and LA Dodger great Steve Yeager.
8 – Jersey number of Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun.
9 – On 9/9 in 1965 Sandy Koufax threw his last no hitter.
10 – Jersey numbers of NHLer Matheiu Schneider
11 – Jersey numbers of NFLer Julian Edelman, NHLer Jeff Halpern, and former Connecticut Huskies great Doron Scheffer
12 – Number of catcher Brad Ausmus
13 – Jersey number of NHLers Michael Cammarelli and Mike Brown
14 – Number of Grand slam titles won by tennis great Pete Sampras
15 – Jersey number of Israeli soccer great Yossi Benayoun.
16 – Jersey number of former Giants pitcher Ryan Sadowski.
17 – Combined WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA World Titles held by Kevin Nash, Bill Goldberg, Raven, and Macho Man.
18 – Jersey number of Kings’ forward Omri Casspi.
19 – Jersey number of Rays’ outfielder Gabe Kapler
20 – Jersey number of MLBer KevinYoukilis and former MLBers Shawn Green and Joe Horlen
21 – Jersey number of Nationals pitcher Jason Marquis.
22 – Shay Doron’s Maryland jersey number.
23 – Jersey number of NHLer Eric Nystrom
24 – Jersey number of former Orlando Magic Danny Schayes.
25 – Number of wins posted by Steve Stone in his Cy Young Award winning season.
26 – Number in the NBA draft that Jordan Farmar was drafted.
27 – Number of complete games Sandy Koufax pitched in 1965 and 1966 and the age Koufax won the Cy Young and MVP awards in the same season.
28 – Number of wins for boxer Yuri Foreman and Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl in 2009/2010.
29 – Jersey number of Mets rookie Ike Davis.
30 – Jon Scheyer’s Duke jersey number.
31 – Number of home runs and stolen bases that Ian Kinsler had in 2009.
32 – Jersey number of Sandy Koufax.
33 – Number Mark Spitz was listed in Sports Illustrated’s 100 athletes of the 20th century.
34 – Jersey number of MLBer John Grabow and former MLBer Ross Baumgarten.
35 – Number in the NFL draft that the San Diego Chargers drafted Igor Olshansky in 2004.
36 – In 1936 Milton Green and Norman Cahners boycotted the Olympics in Germany.
37 – Number of Home Runs Ryan Braun hit in 2008.
38 – In 1939 Hank Greenberg hit 58 home runs.
39 – Jersey number of Texas Ranger Scott Feldman.
40 – Highest ranking of former ATPer Paul Goldstein.
41 – Number in the NFL draft that Andre Tippet by the New England Patriots.
42 – Jersey number of Chicago Bear Sid Luckman.
43 – Number of home runs Al Rosen hit in his 1953 MVP season.
44 – Number of league leading home runs Hank Greenberg hit in his last season with the Tigers.
45 – In 1945 the Philadelphia SPHAs won their 7th and last title.
46 – In 1946 Sid Luckman led the Chicago Bears to a title.
47 – Number of home runs Ron Blomberg hit for the NY Yankees.
48 – In 1948 Ilona Schacherer-Elek won Olympic gold in the Individual Foil.
49 – In 1949 Maurice Podoloff merged the BAA and the NBA and Dolph Schayes was named rookie of the year.
And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For more on Jewish sports please visit www.TheGreatRabbino.com.
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