Lag B’Omer 2023 at Meron was a tremendous success, B’Chasdei Hashem, and was celebrated with the joyous atmosphere of past years while upholding stringent safety regulations. However, the success of the event was eclipsed by Operation Shield and Arrow, which was launched on Lag B’omer.
The success of the event can be attributed to Jerusalem Minister Meir Porush, who despite his reluctance to break with tradition by being appointed a minister, did so in order to receive authority over Meron in compliance with the recommendations of the state commission of inquiry into the Meron disaster that a minister be appointed over the event. Porush then appointed former Jerusalem mayoral candidate Yossi Deitsch as the Meron project manager. Both men worked day and night to ensure a successful Lag B’Omer, an especially daunting task considering that by the time Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was restored to power and the necessary appointments were made, it was already mid-February – only several months before Lag B’Omer.
As Porush says in the video: “I can honestly tell you: we took advantage of every day every hour, every free moment – in order to plan and manage the hillula.” Meron project manager Yossi Deitsch said: “We established a goal for ourselves, to restore the simcha of the hilula in Meron.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu praised Porush for his work, saying at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting: “I want to thank Minister Meir Porush for the efficient, professional and safe management of the hilula in Meron. Brachos Meir in the name of all of us and in the name of many many people in Am Yisrael.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Without question it was ברכת ה that made it the success that it was and the brainstorm of these men to coordinate the effort to include all the significant קהילות that go there each year was amazing. They had, instead of the Israeli police, many who are not Jews but Druze, heimishe yungerleit and עסקנים leading the coordinated crowd control, all factornin for the major success it was. Like many said last year, LEAVE THE POLICING TO US!
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it was the most joyous lag bomer yet bec the police were fressing their faces off and minding their own business. The simcha and kedusha of the day was literally tangible. there was no yelling pushing or pepper spray