The following is an unedited Associated Press story:

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish village in the Hudson Valley is expecting to host thousands of people for its annual bonfire celebration.

The bonfire at Kiryas Joel on Wednesday night will mark the Jewish holiday of Lag Baomer (log bah-OH’-mer). The holiday marks the anniversary of the death of an ancient rabbinical sage who wrote parts of the Talmud.

People in the Hasidic village 50 miles north of New York City claim it’s the largest such celebration in the United States.

Kiryas Joel was formed in the 1970s by followers of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who wanted to create a cohesive community that shared religious beliefs and social values.

(AP)