Lag Baomer in Hebron 2018!

The holiday of Lag BaOmer was enjoyed in Hebron this year by young and old. The celebration of the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer brings barbecues and bonfires throughout the Jewish world and Hebron is no exception.

 

The evening began with a children’s parade from the Chazon David Synagogue to the Tomb of the Patriarchs under the auspices of Chabad of Hebron. Then the traditional bonfire lighting in honor of the 2nd-century tannaitic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, chief source of the Kabbalah, took place at the foot of the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Hebron Hospitality and Cafe Hachi Achi sponsored 1,000 ice cream treats which were distriuted to all participants.

The honor of lighting the bonfire was given to Moti, a special friend of the community who unfortunately is confined to a  wheelchair. About three months ago, Moti volunteered to participate in a documentary from the “Kan” Israeli public broadcasting network. The purpose of the feature was to highlight the difficulty for disabled Israelis accessing holy sites such as the Tomb of Machpela. Ironically, as the cameras were rolling, Moti’s wheelchair lost control and he fell. Now recovered, he returned to Hebron to take the torch and light the traditional bonfire.

 

We are happy Moti has recovered from his fall, and hope that we will soon be able to install infrastructure to allow easy access to the Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. The State of Israel and the Hebron municipality cannot make any additions to the site without first getting approval of the Palestinian Authority and Muslim Wafq with whom we share jurisdiction. This also explains why the roof in the Jewish section of the complex has never been retrofitted to accommodate rain storms. The recent flooding through Israel last week caused a power outage in the Machepla complex and flooding in the prayer areas.

 

Nevertheless, its still a far cry from the 700 years in which Jews were barred from even entering the site. In the merit of Lag BaOmer, we hope to have freedom of access for all peoples who seek to connect to their roots in this special place.

Plan your visit to Hebron today:
 
United States contact info:
http://www.hebronfund.org
1760 Ocean Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-677-6886
info@hebronfund.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hebronvideo

Israeli contact info:
http://en.hebron.org.il/
02-996-5333
office@hebron.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hebron.machpela
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hebronvideo
 
RELATED ARTICLES:
 
* Lag BaOmer Bonfire Brings Smiles and Song to Hebron
* The Cave of Othniel Ben Knaz – First Judge of Israel
* Tombs of Nathan and Gad – Jewish History in Halhul

 

FOOTNOTES AND FURTHER READING: