Unfortunately, the big news in Israel this week is the terrible tragedy in Meron. Forty-five people celebrating
Lag BaOmer, including children, died in a very congested walkway exit. There were metal steps, it was slippery, and there were many people trying to pass through. No serious person thinks these deaths were intentional, but here are some indisputable facts:
1) The site of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s tomb on Mount Meron in the northern Galilee is not constructed to properly facilitate the number of people who visit it. This is especially true on
Lag BaOmer, when crowds can reach over 100,000 people, but itâs also true at other times throughout the year.