Mount Meron tragedy

Five years after disaster, Israel limits Lag Ba'omer celebrations on Meron amid security fears

News guidelines were announced on Sunday night that only up to 1,500 people would be permitted to gather in the communities in the vicinity of Mount Meron: Safsofa, Or HaGanuz, Bar Yochai, and Meron.

 Compound 89 in Meron is seen ahead of next week’s Lag BaOmer celebrations, as police conduct an inspection tour around the tomb complex, April 26, 2026
 The real festivities begin when a huge bonfire is lit at midnight on Lag Ba'omer.

Celebrating Lag Ba’omer, a heroic chapter in Jewish history - opinion

 Rabbi Elimelech Biderman with his followers celebrate the jewish holiday of Lag Ba'Omer, in Meron. May 9, 2023

C'mtee decides to limit bonfires at Mt. Meron ahead of annual pilgrimage

 Israeli soldiers guard the bodies of victims of an attack following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, October 10, 2023.

The True conception: We continue to be endangered by our own assumptions


Meron Disaster: Kotel Rabbi blames variety of groups

Holy Sites rabbi slams extremist haredim, police, Justice Ministry.

Workers are seen removing bleachers on Mount Meron, on July 1, 2021.

Top police official: Politicians refused to limit Meron attendance

The Mount Meron investigations committee began taking witness statements on Sunday morning, with the commander of the Northern District Police Superintendent Shimon Lavi as the first witness

Commander of the Northern District Police Superintendent Shimon Lavi, the first witness of the Meron committee on August 22.

State Comptroller bows out of Meron probe in favor of state inquiry

Englman first announced that he would probe the disaster back on May 3 when it appeared that the government of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu would block any attempt at a state inquiry.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews look at stairs with waste on it in Mount Meron, northern Israel, where fatalities were reported among the thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage for annual commemorations that include all-night prayer and dance, April 30, 2021.

Memorial for Mount Meron victims vandalized at the scene of the disaster

The memorial features photos of the 45 people crushed to death at the Lag Ba'omer event in April of this year and hangs next to the path where the crush occurred.

The memorial for the victims of the Mount Meron tragedy was found destroyed on the ground, July 14, 2021

Israel's A-G suspends Mount Meron tragedy investigation

The investigation into the disaster in which 45 men and boys were crushed to death at the Meron holy site in April did not get past preliminary steps.

The bodies of the victims of the tragedy at Mount Meron on Lag Ba'omer.

Amid antisemitism and disasters, we must face our fears - opinion

Learning to do anything involves overcoming fear. Learning the technical aspects of skiing is 10% of the challenge. The other 90% is overcoming the fear that you’ll get injured once you start moving.

Billboards calling out antisemitism up in Times Square, New York, USA, July 6, 2021.

Could a Surfside-style building collapse happen in Israel? - analysis

While investigators have not concluded what caused nearly half of the 40-year-old high-rise to suddenly collapse, reports indicate that deep structural problems were known and ignored.

Partial collapse of residential building in Surfside

How will demolition order for Meron affect investigation into disaster?

The families of those who died in the Mount Meron tragedy in April worry this could compromise the investigation into the disaster.

Workers are seen removing bleachers on Mount Meron, on July 1, 2021.

Mount Meron: Ex-chief justice appointed to head state inquiry panel

Naor was picked due to her stature leading the entire judicial branch and her experience handling highly complex matters.


Decision to investigate Meron tragedy took too long - editorial

Men and boys found themselves compressed into this tiny space with more people filing into the walkway from the rear, unaware of what was happening further down and trapping those already inside.

Jewish worshippers sing and dance as they stand on tribunes at the Lag Ba’omer event on Mount Meron on April 29.