KIRYAS JOEL – Men, women and children, members of the Satmar Hasidic
community poured into the Village of Kiryas Joel on Wednesday night to
witness the bon fire on the holiday of Lag Baomer.
Tens of thousands attended the annual holiday celebrating the memory
of Sae Rabbi Shimon
(Photo: Yossi Goldberger Y. Sondik)
The annual ritual commemorates the memory of the sage who died some 1,900
years ago. The holiday is celebrated by Jews around the world to give
thanks to God for inspiring Rabbi Shimon to write portions of the Talmud
and other important Jewish works.
While other similar bon fires are held across America, the annual Kiryas
Joel event, attended by an estimated 30,000, is said to draw the most
people and the largest platform fire in the nation. This was the first
year that a similar event was held in the Hasidic community of New Square
in Rockland County.
Hasidic Jews from across the New York metropolitan area and beyond drove
to Orange County to witness the bon fire, which was lit by Grand Rabbi
Aron Teitelbaum.
