What happened at Mount Meron?

April 2021 – Just past midnight, on 30 April 2021, 45 people died, and over 150 were injured at the sacred tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mt. Meron in northern Israel. About 100,000 religious Jews attended the annual Lug B’Omer celebrations on Mount Meron. A mass of people crowded into a narrow passageway as they tried to exit the compound. People in the crowd pushed, slipped, and were crushed, trampled, and suffocated as chaos ensued. Barriers had been set up to section off the crowds because of COVID-19. But the barriers only made the narrow exit into a bottle-neck, crushing those caught inside. The tragedy has been named the deadliest civil disaster in Israeli history.

What is Mount Meron?

Mount Meron, is situated a few miles north of the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel, just outside Safed. The mount is a sacred Jewish pilgrimage site for devoted Jews visiting the burial site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (RaShBi) and other Jewish sages.

Who was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai?

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (also known by the acronym RashBi) was an important 2nd-century figure in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. As a tannaitic sage, he worked on religious theology, and his views are recorded in the Mishnah. Rashbi was a dedicated scholar and disciple of Rabbi Akiva. He is attributed to writing the Zohar, the central text of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. Each year, on the anniversary of Rashbi’s death, thousands of religious Jews gather at Rashbi’s tomb on Mt. Meron.

What is Lag B’Omer?

Omer was an ancient unit for measuring. Forty-nine days of the “Omer” are counted from Passover when an omer of barley was offered at the Holy Temple, until Shavuot, when an offering of wheat was made. Today, this period of 49 days is observed as a period of mourning for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva that died of the plague. During the Omer religious Jews refrain from celebrations, weddings, and even haircuts.

Lamed-Gimmel (Lag) are the Hebrew letters representing the number 33, and Lag B’Omer, is on the 33rd day of the Omer. It is a break in the mourning period and the only day during the 49 day period that celebrations are held. The plague that killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students, ended on Lag B’Omer and it is traditionally the date Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (one of Rabbi Akiva’s students) died. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is said to have asked that his death be marked by rejoicing and not mourning. Hence the celebrations on Lag B’Omer.

On Lag B’Omer tens of thousands of ultra-religious Jews gather at Rashbi’s grave on Mount Meron, to pray, dance, sing, and light bonfires throughout the night. Israeli kids celebrate Lug B’Omer with bonfires symbolizing the spiritual light brought to the world through Rashbi’s writings.

What other things happened on Mount Meron?

• 2006-During the Lebanon-Israel War, several Lebanese rockets landed on Mt. Meron, and a woman and child were killed.
• 2005-Additional land on the mountain was designated as a nature reserve.
• 1965-Large sections of Mount Meron were declared a nature reserve.
• The Meron Field School is established among 30 acres of natural wood groves on Mount Meron.
• 1949-Meron village was established by Hapoal HaMizrachi, on the remains of the Arab village Meiron.
• 1911-On May 17, 1911, an 8-meter-high roof collapsed at Meron. This resulted in seven deaths and 40 wounded.
• Second Temple Era-Meron is mentioned in the Bible as the site of Joshua’s historical victory over the Canaanites.
• 3500-1150BC Canaanite village of Merom stood on the mount.
• Bronze-Iron Age-Settlements existed on Mt. Meron as early as the Bronze and Iron Age.