Israel put its troubles aside Saturday night and celebrated Lag B'omer, the 33rd of 49 days of counting the traditional measure of barley in the spring harvest between the Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost) holidays.
Lag B'omer also marks the date on which the 22,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying of a plague during Roman rule. Another explanation for their deaths is that they were killed while fighting the Roman army.
Tradition states that the plague was suspended on Lag B'Omer, which also is observed as the anniversary of the death of the Torah scholar Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose grave is in Meron, west of Tzfat. More than 300,000 reached Meron by late Saturday night, and tens of thousands more are on their way, police reported.
Israelis from all parts of the religious spectrum find faith and hope through the holiday amid bonfires and songs which break the period of mourning. Beards, which have been grown as a sign of mourning, are shaven, and thousands of parents follow a tradition of giving their sons their first haircut on the holiday.
Firefighters and medics are on alert, but increased awareness of safety and tighter government controls against recklessness have kept incidents to a minimum.
Two fires broke out of control at the Carmel Park in Haifa, and another fire went of control in the Negev town of Sderot. Three fires also broke out in Petach Tikva and six in Rosh HaAyin, east of Tel Aviv. No injuries were reported.
Pilgrimage in Tunisia
Coinciding with Lag B'Omer is the annual Ghriba pilgrimage on the Tunisian island of Djerba. Thousands of French and Italian Jews as well as Tunisian-born Israelis descended on the town, home of the El Ghriba synagogue, the oldest known Jewish house of worship in Africa. A terrorist attack on the synagogue five years ago killed 21 people.
The name of the synagogue means "marvelous" or "strange," based on several traditions, one of which is that Jewish priests fled there after the destruction of the First Temple.
Lag B'omer also marks the date on which the 22,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying of a plague during Roman rule. Another explanation for their deaths is that they were killed while fighting the Roman army.
Tradition states that the plague was suspended on Lag B'Omer, which also is observed as the anniversary of the death of the Torah scholar Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose grave is in Meron, west of Tzfat. More than 300,000 reached Meron by late Saturday night, and tens of thousands more are on their way, police reported.
Israelis from all parts of the religious spectrum find faith and hope through the holiday amid bonfires and songs which break the period of mourning. Beards, which have been grown as a sign of mourning, are shaven, and thousands of parents follow a tradition of giving their sons their first haircut on the holiday.
Firefighters and medics are on alert, but increased awareness of safety and tighter government controls against recklessness have kept incidents to a minimum.
Two fires broke out of control at the Carmel Park in Haifa, and another fire went of control in the Negev town of Sderot. Three fires also broke out in Petach Tikva and six in Rosh HaAyin, east of Tel Aviv. No injuries were reported.
Pilgrimage in Tunisia
Coinciding with Lag B'Omer is the annual Ghriba pilgrimage on the Tunisian island of Djerba. Thousands of French and Italian Jews as well as Tunisian-born Israelis descended on the town, home of the El Ghriba synagogue, the oldest known Jewish house of worship in Africa. A terrorist attack on the synagogue five years ago killed 21 people.
The name of the synagogue means "marvelous" or "strange," based on several traditions, one of which is that Jewish priests fled there after the destruction of the First Temple.