ISRAEL (VINnews) — The Meron Project Manager is holding talks this week with Charedi Rabbonim and Admorim, to develop a plan for this year’s Lag B’omer celebration.
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Brigadier-General Tzviki Tessler is trying to balance the desires conveyed by Charedi leaders with the need to maintain the highest degree of safety for the massive crowds.
Tessler is meeting with Chassidishe leaders whose sects are hoping to hold bonfires–Toldos Aharon, Boyan, Toldos Avraham-Yitzchak, Karlin, Modhitz, Rachmastrivka, and Zvhil, in addition to Rav Rafael Abuchatzeira, and representatives of the Old Yishuv.
Along with his two top advisors, Arik Yekuel and Eliyahu Arand, Tessler is planning to present a concrete framework for this year’s celebration and bonfires.
Israeli website Kikar Shabbos quoted sources who reportedly attended the meetings.
One source quoted Tessler as saying, “The celebration at Meron 5722 will take place in a way that will allow the general public to come and daven in an orderly and safe manner at the commemoration of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Our understanding with the Chasidic sects is that it is necessary to balance the celebration with the sanctity of life and be concerned for the safety and security of the worshipers.”
Another source said, “The project manager wanted to get a first-hand understanding of the Chasidic representatives and deliver their needs while combining the needs of the outline that he will present. His intention is to hold an open dialogue with the Admorim and Rabbonim in order for them to ascend to Har Meron on Lag B’Omer with their congregations.”
In addition to the leadership, the report said that Tessler met with Charedi journalists who expressed the needs of their communities, combined with the understanding that the past conditions which led to last year’s tragic disaster cannot continue.
Tessler told the reporters, “I have been given a sacred mission to organize the celebration and make sure that it takes place in the best and safest way. [This is] built on a dialogue with the Charedi public so that we can hold the celebration and ensure that the Charedi public can attend the Meron [festival] on Lag B’omer.”
Tessler is expected to hold another round of meetings, with the hope of developing an open discourse that will last until Lag B’Omer.
Chaval it takes a tragedy or maybe several tragedies to get us to this point.We must prioritize safety, anticipate challenges and have emergency contingency plans. If only we had done this earlier. We have a lot to do teshuva for, let this be a start.