Celebrations in Meron on Lag BaOmer to Take Place Without Limits on Crowds

Following feverish discussions in recent days, there will be no limits on the amount of people allowed at the tziyun of Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai this coming Lag BaOmer, it was announced on Motzoei Shabbos.

Chareidi MKs and ministers had been in talks with government officials, some of whom sought to curtail the celebration to just 15,000 participants.

Shas chairman Interior Minister Rabbi Aryeh Deri spoke with Public Security Minister Amir Ohana on the matter.

Rabbi Deri said: “The day of Lag BaOmer and its celebrations in Meron is a very important day for all walks of Jewish life. B’ezrat Hashem, the morbidity figures are low and therefore there is no sense in restricting mispallelim at an event in the open air.

“All should be allowed unlimited access to Meron. Restricting access to attend the Rashbi celebration will severely damage public trust.”

The government approved last week the holding of sports events in open stadiums with the participation of up to ten thousand people, but initially, the events in Meron were limited to just one thousand participants.

An average Lag BaOmer draws crowds of hundreds of thousands of mispallelim to Meron, to daven at the kever of the Rashbi and to celebrate in the hilula.