JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands were expected to arrive in the former Jewish community of Homesh to celebrate Lag B’Omer.
Tuesday’s festivities in the former West Bank community, which was evacuated along with the Gush Katif communities in the summer of 2006, will be capped off with a Lag B’Omer bonfire that will be seen as far away as Tel Aviv.
Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer between Passover and Shavuot, is marked with bonfires and first haircuts for 3-year-old boys.
More than 400,000 people gathered Monday night and Tuesday at the burial site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who died on Lag B’Omer, in Meron in northern Israel, lighting bonfires, celebrating first haircuts and participating in two major ceremonies scheduled for the site.
Firefighters were on alert throughout Israel.
