Omer Calendar

At one time the painted Sefira, or Omer counter, was hanging on the wall of the prayer house in Gyöngyöspata. It was made in 1820 by Shmuel Chaim who came from the Moravian city of Prerau. The Sefira period is the 49-day period between the Biblical pilgrimage festivals of Passover and Shavuot. The Torah states that this period is to be counted, both in days and in weeks. The Sefira period was an important stage in the formation of the Israelite people; it created a symbolical link between the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt and the reception of the Torah, i.e. the laws. The forty nine days elapsing between Pesach and Shavout can be read in the middle of the counter in circles arranged into lines of seven, with blessings, psalms and prayers around them. The decoration of the outer frame is the area left white in front of the painted background.