Sephirath ha-Omer [Counting the Omer]

(LITURGY)

Eastern Galicia

19th-century

Hebrew with nikud (vowel points). Multicolor texts between architectural columns. Final placard in series contains griffins astride a cartouche: "Presented by R. David Badchan ben Mordecai and his wife Malkah Reizel to the fraternity Or Chadash ve-Shomrim la-Boker"

Between Passover and Pentecost (Shavu'oth), for a period of forty-nine days, the Omer is counted every night in the synagogue. These placards, presumably hung on the wall of the synagogue and contain the prescribed blessings and kabbalistic meditations for the ritual. The simple folk-loric style of these sephirah-cards is most evocative.