Lag Ba'omer lights up across nation

Tens of thousands of people congregated on Mount Meron near the tomb of rabbinical sage Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai on Saturday night for traditional Lag Ba'omer celebrations as bonfires were lit throughout the country.

The festivities on Mount Meron and especially the lighting of the main bonfire were deferred until 11 pm to enable observant Jews from Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and the south to reach the site after the conclusion of Shabbath.

Many had already traveled to the site on Thursday and Friday and set up camp there for the annual celebrations that mark the 33rd day of Omer, or 18 Iyar, and a respite in the period of mourning between Pessah and Shavuot.

A massive operation involving more than 3,000 Police, Border Police and volunteers, has been mounted to provide security for the visitors, as well as dealing with traffic and ensuring law and order.

Police expect between 300,000 to 500,000 visitors for the celebrations this year that are slated to continue until Sunday night.

All three access roads to Mount Meron have been closed since Thursday morning, with cars being directed to parking areas from where a fleet of buses shuttle visitors to and from the site.

Police have also set up roadblocks and all vehicles, including buses and their passengers are being checked before being allowed to continue to the site.

Galilee district police chief, Deputy Commander Dov Lutzky, said on the eve of the holiday that everything would be done to provide maximum security while ensuring access to the site.

The Fire and Rescue Service as well as Magen David Adom boosted services on Mount Meron and throughout the country to deal with any problems as a result of Lag Ba'omer festivities.

Last year, MDA dealt with 200 cases on Mount Meron and scores of other incidents throughout the country mainly as a result of accidents relating to bonfires and fireworks.

The emergency services expressed the hope that this year the celebrations and festivities would pass relatively quietly and with fewer injuries.

don't the Orthodox cut the hair of their children, for the first time, who are 3 years old?

During Sefirah (the period between Passover and Shavuot) haircuts are not permitted, but on Lag Ba'omer it is permitted. So all the boys who turn three years old during this period can only be given their first haircut (upsherenish) on this day.

Usually upsherenish takes place on a boy's third birthday.

It is customary for some sects to perform the upsherenish at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

An ultra Orthodox Jew holds a three-year-old boy after having his hair cut for the first time, during Lag Ba-Omer festivities on Meron montain, at the grave of a second-century mystic in northern Israel, May 9, 2004. Israelis celebrate according to the Jewish tradition Lag Ba-Omer, which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

Sun May 9, 1:19 PM ET

An ultra Orthodox Jew holds a three-year-old boy after having his hair cut for the first time, during Lag Ba-Omer festivities on Meron montain, at the grave of a second-century mystic in northern Israel, May 9, 2004. Israelis celebrate according to the Jewish tradition Lag Ba-Omer, which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

An ultra-Orthodox boy receives his traditional first haircut during Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Sunday May 9, 2004. Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered to celebrate Lag Ba'Omer by lighting bonfires and cutting the hair of young male children as part of the festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Yaron Kaminsky)

Sun May 9, 9:39 AM ET

An ultra-Orthodox boy receives his traditional first haircut during Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Sunday May 9, 2004. Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered to celebrate Lag Ba'Omer by lighting bonfires and cutting the hair of young male children as part of the festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Yaron Kaminsky)

Ultra Orthodox Jews sing during Lag Ba-Omer festivities on Meron mountain at the grave of a second-century mystic in Northern Israel May 9, 2004. Israelis celebrate according to the Jewish tradition Lag Ba-Omer which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

Sun May 9, 8:36 AM ET

Ultra Orthodox Jews sing during Lag Ba-Omer festivities on Meron mountain at the grave of a second-century mystic in Northern Israel May 9, 2004. Israelis celebrate according to the Jewish tradition Lag Ba-Omer which marks the end of a plague in the Middle Ages that killed thousands of disciples of a revered rabbi in the holy land. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause

An Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy wears his fathers fur hat as they dance after having his hair cut as part of Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the Cave of Shimon the Righteous in east Jerusalem, Sunday May 9, 2004. Israelis light bonfires and cut the hair of young male children as part of Lag Ba'Omer festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Sun May 9, 1:37 PM ET

An Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy wears his fathers fur hat as they dance after having his hair cut as part of Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the Cave of Shimon the Righteous in east Jerusalem, Sunday May 9, 2004. Israelis light bonfires and cut the hair of young male children as part of Lag Ba'Omer festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

An Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy wears his fathers hat as they dance after having his hair cut as part of Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the Cave of Shimon the Righteous in east Jerusalem, Sunday May 9, 2004. Israelis light bonfires and cut the hair of young male children as part of Lag Ba'Omer festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Sun May 9,12:05 PM ET

An Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy wears his fathers hat as they dance after having his hair cut as part of Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at the Cave of Shimon the Righteous in east Jerusalem, Sunday May 9, 2004. Israelis light bonfires and cut the hair of young male children as part of Lag Ba'Omer festivities commemorating the end of a plague said to have decimated Jews in Roman times. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Reuters error: the plague afflicted the disciples of Rabbi Akiva, 2nd Century A.D., not the "Middle Ages"

AP error: the celebrations are held at the tomb of Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron in the Galilee, not at the tomb of Shimon Ha Tzadik in Jerusalem.

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