"Latest Questions" Tops 100 Entries

A growing section of our site is the "Latest Questions" section of Ask the Rabbi. In the last few days, this section topped the 100-question mark in the amount of questions and answers listed.

If you have never checked this section, we welcome you to stop by. You will find answers that our active Ask-The-Rabbi team answered to interesting questions posed by by our users. Take a glimpse into what is bothering some of our visitors - and maybe drop your comments too!

Some of the most talked about questions:

• Is Yoga kosher?
• Do souls maintain contact with their loved ones after departing the body?
• How long must a tree be left to grow before harvesting its fruits?

Webby Awards Selects Itche Kadoozy as Official Honoree

Chabad.org's Itche Kadoozy show has been selected as an official honoree by the 11th Annual Webby Awards! Located in the Music/Variety section, Itche Kadoozy comfortably finds it's place among content and media giants like AOL, Yahoo and ABC.

See: http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current_honorees.php?media_id=97&category_id=106

As a result of the superior quantity and quality of sites entered, the 11th Annual Webby Awards recognized sites and teams that demonstrated a standard of excellence.

Of the more than 8,000 entries submitted to the 11th Annual Webby Awards, fewer than 15% were distinguished as an Official Honoree. This honor signifies an outstanding caliber of work. Congratulations to all of our Official Honoree selections!

New Itche Kadoozy Series is Hot!

Our latest Itche Kadoozy series is moving along, and it's hot! Called "The Quest for Fish", it documents the adventures of G-fish quest for finding his roots. Taking him to Egypt and Israel, it's action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Check it out here!

The latest of the four episodes already released, "Detours", can be watched here.

We can't wait for #5!

Count the Omer

Chabad.org's Count the Omer site has recently undergone a design facelift.

Some of the tools in content available include:

• Today's Omer, a page that updates daily with the text to count today's omer
• Omer Calendar, a printable listing of this year's Omer schedule
• Spiritual Guide
• Insights
• Laws (yeah, it can get tricky sometimes... Oops, that reminds me. I better go count...)
• Daily Reminder via email, unique to the web.
• Audio Classes about the Omer

This is all great...But what is the "Omer"?

Here is our Introduction:

"When you take this people out of Egypt," said G-d to Moses when He revealed himself to him in a burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai, "you shall serve G-d on this mountain."

It took seven weeks to reach the mountain. The people of Israel departed Egypt on the 15th of Nissan (the first day of Passover); on the 6th of Sivan, celebrated ever since as the festival of Shavuot, they assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai and received the Torah from G-d.

The Kabbalists explain that the 49 days that connect Passover with Shavuot correspond to the forty-nine drives and traits of the human heart. Each day saw the refinement of one of these sefirot, bringing the people of Israel one step closer to their election as G-d’s chosen people and their receiving of His communication to humanity.

Each year, we retrace this inner journey with our "Counting of the Omer." Beginning on the second night of Passover, we count the days and weeks: "Today is one day to the Omer"; "Today is two days to the Omer"; "Today is seven days, which are one week to the Omer"; and so on, till "Today is forty-nine days, which are seven weeks to the Omer." Shavuot, the "Festival of Weeks" is the product of this count, driven by the miracles and revelations of the Exodus but achieved by a methodical, 49-step process of self-refinement within the human soul.

On the Virginia Tech Tragedy

I am back. It's been a while, catching up from the the pre-pesach, pesach and post-pesach tasks, so now it's back to writing some notes here on what's new at Chabad.org... Unfortunately, today's post does not center on an especially happy topic, but that's what's cooking today..

Surely everyone is aware of the tragedy that took place two days ago at the Virginia Tech campus.

As we all seek inspiration, Chabad.org has prepared following items of interest:

• Thirty Three Murders By Yanki Tauber, a thought-proving piece about the value of human life
• Statement by Chabad on Campus
• Send Condolences to the Libresco family

Feel free to share your feelings in the comments sections and send nichum aveilim to the Libresco family.

May we only hear good news!