ousands of pilgrims traveled to Meron in northern Israel to mark the start of Lag B’Omer.

Mount Meron is the burial place of grave of Jewish Kabbalist and mystic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a popular pilgrimage site for the holiday. The pilgrims began lighting bonfires after midnight on Saturday night, with hundreds of thousands of people expected over the course of Sunday and Sunday night. The event draws many haredi Orthodox Jews.

Lag B’Omer marks the 33rd day of the counting of the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot and the end of a minor mourning period recognizing the death of thousands of the students of the sage Rabbi Akiva. Bar Yochai was a 2nd century disciple of Rabbi Akiva and was revered for his teachings on Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. Lag B’Omer also commemorates Bar Yochai’s death and the revelation of the Zohar, a spiritual text. The bonfires are meant to symbolize the light of those teachings.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

While bonfires were lit in Meron on Saturday night, the annual tradition was delayed throughout Israel by one night to Sunday night by the Chief Rabbinate in order to prevent the desecration of Shabbat by police and other emergency services in preparation for the gatherings. School closings were changed from Sunday to Monday, as were other planned celebrations.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount