Lag Ba'omer
The Yahrtzeit of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai
Lag Ba’omer – The courtyard of Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai’s gravesite, Meron. A steady throng of hundreds of thousands of people heads towards the holy site. The place is crammed with thousands of Jews coming from every part of the country – men, women and children from all walks of life. These people have put aside all other matters and have left their homes to travel the crowded roads in order to participate in the joyous occasion of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai’s yahrtzeit.
At the center of all the commotion, large circles, one within the other, are formed by hundreds of people dancing to the tune of “Bar Yochai” which reverberates in the air as a lively orchestra accompanies the energetic singing.