Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 8, 2020

The Knesset voted on Wednesday evening to enforce restrictions regarding Lag BOmer which falls out this year on Monday, May 11, rejecting a National Security Council recommendation to impose a nationwide lockdown for the day.

Instead, the Knesset voted to ban virtually all bonfires, including private ones, and to close off the entire town of Meron to visitors from Thursday of this week until May 13, with the exception of residents of the town of Meron and workers and visitors to three exclusive bonfires on Lag BOmer.

Three Lag B Omer bonfires (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Dati Leumi) will be allowed on Lag BOmer at Meron at staggered times and with the participation of up to 50 people by invitation only.

The town of Meron will be re-opened on May 13 but the area of the kever of R Shimon bar Yochai will continue to be closed to visitors through next Shabbos, until Sunday, May 17. Renting rooms or guesthouses to non-residents of Meron is forbidden and no public transportation to the site will be available.

Private bonfires were reportedly banned due to the concern of Israels Fire and Rescue Authority about the risk of fires in many small areas that may be difficult for firefighters to access.

Families of three-year-old boys will hold the chalukah at their homes rather than Meron this year. Below is an image of a chalukah in Petach Tivkah being carried out coronavirus style, with the hair being cut in adherence with social distancing rules:

The cover of the Mishpacha magazine in Hebrew for the upcoming Shabbos focuses on the gaaguim the sense of loss for Meron.

(YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem)

Read more from the original source:

Meron In The Shadow Of The Coronavirus - Yeshiva World News

Category: Ashkenazi
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