Friday, April 3, 2026/17 Nisan, 5786

Friday, April 3, 2026/17 Nisan, 5786

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach Exodus 33:13–34:26

Haftarah Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The Valley of Dry Bones)

Dear TBE Community,

Last night, at the end of our community seder, we began counting the Omer. Counting the Omer is primarily a kabbalistic, mystical ritual that bridges the time between Passover and Shavuot, between the festivals celebrating redemption and revelation, respectively. Seven weeks, 49 days, with the giving of the Torah on the 50th day.

The Omer is an agricultural unit of measurement – one Omer is a sheaf of grain. In ancient Temple times, the priests waved sheaves of barley before God on the second day of Passover, to invoke divine blessing for a good harvest.

About seven weeks later, the barley harvest took place – the book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, is set around that time. So, the timespan between Passover and Shavuot was determined by nature’s calendar.

The Kabbalists ascribed one divine sefirot, one divine attribute, to each of the seven weeks of that timespan: Kindness for the first week, strength for the second, beauty for the third, endurance for the fourth, humility for the fifth, foundation for the sixth, and splendor for the seventh.

On each day of each week, these attributes are again paired differently with each other:

Last night it was kindness with kindness. Tonight it will be strength and kindness. Tomorrow evening beauty and kindness. Then endurance and kindness, humility and kindness, foundation and kindness, and splendor and kindness. Until the second week begins: Kindness and strength. Strength and strength. Beauty and strength. And so forth – see the pattern? While we count the days and weeks, we are invited to reflect on each day’s pairing. What does it mean, to pair beauty with strength? What is the endurance in humility? What is the foundation of splendor?

Tonight, as I said, we have strength and kindness. I invite you to think about what this means to you. How do you define the strength of – or in – kindness? And what sefira are you most curious about, and why?

We did have a huge turnout at our seder yesterday – but we still have services tonight at 6pm in the Beit Midrash. Come join us for songs, prayers, some verses from the Song of Songs, some reflections on Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones — and for counting the Omer day 2! There’ll also be a light Passover friendly Oneg, sponsored by the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund.

Shabbat Shalom! Moadim l’simcha!
Rabbi Julia Knobloch

More Torah Tidbits

Hadas Cootware

Torah School Coordinator

Hadas Cootware has been teaching Hebrew and Jewish Studies for over a decade, joining our Temple Beth El Community in 2018. Born and raised in Israel with Hebrew as her native language, she previously served as a combat soldier and operations officer in the IDF. Drawing on her studies in acting and psychology, she published a children’s book in Hebrew, The Marshmallow Story, which focuses on delayed gratification. Outside of teaching, she is the proud mother of her son, Henry, and loves to travel.

TBEtorahschool@bethelsp.org

Ilan Davidson

Cantor

Cantor Ilan Davidson has been pleasing audiences with his singing since before he could read. At age five, he began singing with his Cantor, Philip Moddel, and hasn’t shut up since. At ten, he made his Operatic debut with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, as a street urchin. Since then, he has performed roles in opera and musical theatre, performing, directing, and producing world-class productions.

Among his many accomplishments, Cantor Davidson is also known as a contemporary Jewish songwriter and performer, having delighted audiences all over the world, including Israel and Lithuania with the soulful sounds of his music. His recordings, Stained Glass (1995) and In A Hanukkah Mood (2007) are collections of original and covered songs by himself and many contemporary Jewish artists. His most recent recording, God Is In This Place (2020), is a collection of original liturgical pieces for the Friday night Shabbat Service, commissioned and written in honor of his 25th Anniversary as the Cantor of Temple Beth El.

Cantor Davidson left the stage and in 1995 joined the Temple Beth El family, in San Pedro, where, in his nearly 30 years of service, he has brought many new programs and much enthusiasm to all he does. Coming from a long line of Cantors, it must have been Besheret for Cantor Davidson, although talented in all areas of musical performance, to finally settle down into his career as Hazzan for Temple Beth El in San Pedro, California. In 2007, Cantor Davidson founded a new foundation, KindredSPIRITS, producing an annual world humanitarian aid event. KindredSPIRITS premiered on June 5, 2008 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, adding that prestigious concert hall to the ever growing list of venues around the world, where Davidson has performed. During the 10 years of humanitarian events, Global KindredSPIRITS, Inc., as an official 501©3, raised awareness and close to $500,000 for its beneficiaries over the decade.
As a past president of the South Coast Interfaith Council, Ilan fought for tolerance and understanding of ALL faiths in a difficult climate. For the past 7 years, Cantor Davidson has been service as an LA County Commissioner, representing the 4th District on the Human Relations Commission, where he currently serves as President. Whether it is raising his voice for justice, Hazzanut, Pop, Opera, Musical Theatre, or folk music, Cantor Ilan Davidson shares his soul and genuine love in every note.

When asked about his finest accomplishment, Cantor Ilan invariably responds, “After all the great concerts, services, and roles, my finest role in life is that of husband to my beautiful wife, Jodi, and daddy to my gorgeous daughters, Jordan and Zoe.”

cantor@bethelsp.org

Office: (310) 833-2467 Ext. 106

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