Lag B'omer is celebrated in Israel on the 33rd day of the Omer count, which fell on May 3rd this year. The holiday celebrates the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the first teacher of Kabbalah (for more info on Kabbalah, click here: https://kabbalah.com/en/about-us). I had never heard of Lag B'omer before coming to Israel, so it has been fascinating for me to learn about Kabbalah's intersection with Israeli society. Apparently every year tens of thousands of people journey to Meron, a town in the North, where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is buried. In addition to praising Rabbi Shimon's life, this day also celebrates the end of a plague on the Jewish people. So, while the weeks leading up to Lag B'omer are full of mourning, this day is a time to have fun. The activities typically consist of a couple of events: -bonfires - this is how Tel Aviv University International celebrated. I believe this is how most secular communities recognize the holiday as well -bows and arrows - this is a day for kids to play "bows and arrows," which "symbolizes the power of inwardness — the power unleashed by the mystic soul of Torah" (Tauber, n.d.). -parades - this is how the Diaspora historically celebrated the holiday, but beginning in 1980, Israel officially incorporated the practice -eating carob (an edible seed that Rabbi Shimon and his son survived on while hiding from the Romans) and eggs (to symbolize mourning) ("What Is Lag BaOmer?", n.d.) If you'd like to see for yourself how Lag B'omer is celebrated, check out this video: REFERENCES Tauber, Y. (n.d.). "The Kabbalah of the Bow and Arrow." Retrieved on 11 May, 2018 from https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2899/jewish/Kabbalah-of-the-Bow-and-Arrow.htm. "What Is Lag BaOmer?" (n.d.). Retrieved on 11 May, 2018 from https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/679300/jewish/What-Is-Lag-BaOmer.htm. Photo: "Activities for Celebrating Lag B'Omer" [Digital Image] (n.d.). Retrieved on 11 May, 2018 from https://jteach.org/project/activities-for-celebrating-lag-bomer/. Video: Fleisher, Y. [NO2BDS Gedaliah Blum]. (2017). "We experience Lag B'Omer festivities in Meron...courtesy of Yishai Fleisher" [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjYxbTyhhWA. |
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