Happy Lag BaOmer— the Jewish holiday that… um… something about bonfires and bows and arrows!

Yes, Lag BaOmer can be a holiday more about ritual than meaning (its origin is unclear), but it happens to be a day of great kabbalistic import (someone tell Madonna).  So let’s get real spiritual and finish out the holiday with a special yoga routine (the links take you to instructions).

Yoga moves courtesy of Jewcy contributor Rachel Jacobs:

1. Corpse pose: One piece of Lag BaOmer lore is that it’s the day that ended a terrible plague that wiped out tens of thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s followers. So we can start there as we leave mourning behind.
2. Conqueror breath: Let’s transition to something more active as we demand victory (more on that historical bit next).
3. Sun Salutation: If you can face down a Lag BaOmer bonfire while you make amazing s’mores, then you can face the sun.
4. Warrior Pose: Especially in modern times and in Israel, there is a connection between Lag BaOmer and the Bar Kokhba revolt, so be a warrior!
5. Warrior Pose II: The rebellion was a failure. Do another pose, this time with a bit of melancholy.
6. Hero Pose: This sitting position is a good wind down, but use the title to think of it as a reminder for Jewish courage throughout history. Or something.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this yoga journey through Lag BaOmer. Now go shoot an arrow at something, you crazy kids!

Image Credit: YouTube.com

The post Lag BaOHMer appeared first on Jewcy.

It’s officially the Omer, the gap between Passover and Shavuot, in which Jews are commanded each night to count one more day. Excited? No? Well Jewcy has just the motivation: a Pop Culture Omer.

You see, there’s a pretty strict rule against mentioning the number of a certain day early or, you know, you’ve counted it. So we have combed through Jewish history and pop culture to find stand-ins for each of the 49 nights, and we’ve already started tweeting them (#PopCultureOmer). Think of it as an update of the above image, an Omer calendar from 1850.

Anyway, here is the full list in all its glory, questions and answers laid bare. Study up, and follow @JewcyMag for your daily cryptic reminder of what you’ll be counting any given night.

1.  How many Jewish women have held the title of Miss America?
2.  Count the bestie broads on Broad City.
3. How many Oscars does Steven Spielberg have?
4. Brian Epstein was the manager for the most famous band in history, known sometimes as the Fab _.
5. How many Marx brothers were there (don’t forget Gummo!)?
6. How many productions of Fiddler on the Roof have played on Broadway?
7. This year of the Tony Awards was great for Jews, with Arthur Miller winning best play for The Crucible and lots of Jews winning for musical Wonderful Town.
8. How many Jews have served as U.S. Supreme Court Justices (sans Merrick Garland)?
9. How many seasons of Seinfeld were there?
10. For this answer, fill in the blank for the title of the Paddy Chayefsky play: The ____ Man.
11. How many Olympic medals (of any rank) did Mark Spitz acquire in his career?
12. The Producers holds the record for the Broadway musical with the most Tony Awards. How many?
13. What’s the name of a Jason Robert Brown musical involving a kid prepping for his Bar Mitzvah?
14. How many studio albums does Bette Midler have to date?
15. At this age Drake’s career began, with his acting role on Degrassi: The Next Generation.
16. This was Natalie Portman’s age when she played Anne Frank on Broadway.
17. Joseph Gordon-Levitt celebrates his birthday this day in February.
18. This was Aly Raisman’s age when she won an Olympic gold medal.
19. At what age did Barbra Streisand make her Broadway debut (in I Can Get it for You Wholesale)?
20. How many seasons of Judge Judy have there been (so far)?
21. The age at which an American Jew can have a legal L’Chaim!
22. How many feature-length films did one or both Coen brothers write and/or direct?
23. How many years has the Notorious RBG served on SCOTUS?
24. Barbra Streisand celebrates her birthday this day in April.
25. Rashida Jones celebrates her birthday this day in February.
26. Mel Brooks (may he live until 120) was born in 19__.
27. How many novels or novellas has Philip Roth written?
28. How many films has Judd Apatow produced to date?
29. What is Sheldon Adelson’s net worth, rounded to the nearest billion?
30. At what age did Marilyn Monroe convert to Judaism?
31. What is Scarlett Johansson’s current age?
32. What was Sandy Koufax’s baseball jersey number?
33. How many countries voted for the 1947 U.N. partition plan?
34. How many studio albums does Barbra Streisand have to date?
35. How many years ago did Simon and Garfunkel record their famous Central Park concert?
36. Keeping Up with the Steins had this (unfairly low) percentage on RottenTomatoes.
37. What was James Franco’s age at his Bar Mitzvah?
38. What is the number of the next World Zionist Congress, scheduled for 2020?
39. What was the number of weeks The Chosen was on the New York Times bestseller list?
40. What was Yentl‘s Box Office gross, rounded to the nearest million?
41. How many years ago did Jewish-directed films Funny Lady, Young Frankenstein, and Jaws all premiere?
42. In the Hebrew numerical code of gematria, what is the value of Google? Hint: It’s the answer to the Life, the Universe, and Everything.
43. How many years ago did the Jewish film The Way We Were premiere?
44. How many years ago did Bette Midler release her debut album, The Divine Miss M?
45. What is Idina Menzel’s current age?
46. What is Jack Black’s current age?
47. Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Millennium Approaches won Best Play in this Tony Year.
48. What is Judd Apatow’s current age?
49. Not to end on a low note, but how many years ago did Paul Muni die?Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The post The Pop Culture Omer appeared first on Jewcy.

The minor (but very fun) Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer begins this Saturday night! What better way to celebrate than by eating some delicious, gooey s’mores by a bonfire? There is no better way, trust.

If you’re a little confused as to what this holiday is all about, you’re not alone—its origins are kind of vague. The literal meaning is straightforward: “Lag” is simply the acronym of the Hebrew letters ‘lamed’ and ‘gimmel’, which have a combined numerical value of 33, and the Omer is the period of 49 days between Passover and Shavuot that we count and observe as a period of semi-mourning. It’s said that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died during this period—either as part of the Bar Kochba revolt (132–136 CE), or in a plague wrought by God as punishment for sinat chinam (baseless hatred)—and that Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day, marked a respite from battle or disease.

Anyway! The TL;DR version of the story is that Lag B’Omer is a day for weddings, first haircuts (upsherin), festivities, and bonfires. Which means bonfire food! Which means S’MORES. Thank you for being patient. Here are your recipes.

1. Not Your Bubbe’s Peanut Butter Lag B’Omer S’mores: Your basic s’more, with a PB & Oreo twist.

2. S’mores Rugelach: Old country, meet new country. These look amazing, taste amazing, and are ridiculously easy to make.

3. Homemade Whole Wheat Graham Crackers S’mores: Real balabostas bake from scratch; everyone else should just feel very bad about themselves. (Kidding!)

4. S’mores Cheesecake With Summer Berries: Because Shavuot is just 17 days after Lag B’Omer, and you need to perfect your Cheesecake-making skillz, right?

5. Banana Boat S’mores: They’re healthy…ish! Wrap in aluminum foil and throw onto the edge of fire—just close enough to get melty and gooey.

6. Martha Stewart’s Matzo S’more: Old matzah is transformed—transformed, I tell you—by the s’morification process. I made these on Saturday night. I wouldn’t lie to you.

7. Summer S’Mores Martini: Because we wouldn’t want you to get thirsty.

Image: Shutterstock

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