(Newsflash: It is not.) If your kids aren’t familiar with carob, Lag b’Omer is the perfect day to introduce it to them - sample the whole pods if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some. That’s especially true if you let go of the misguided notion that it’s a substitute for chocolate. It grows abundantly across Israel, and it’s also a very tasty and healthy snack. Snack on some carobĬarob, as we established, sustained Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai during the years he lived in a cave. Share some photos of your special day with your kids, tell some stories, and if you have a video of your wedding, watch it together as a family - especially if your kids have never seen it. If you are married, take this opportunity to travel down memory lane.
Of course, Lag b’Omer is an exception, and as such there are many, many weddings in Israel on this joyful day. Traditionally, Jews don’t get married during the Omer. Here’s a playlist of some catchy, modern Israeli songs to get the whole family dancing. Regardless of what your family does or does not do during this time, this holiday is a perfect excuse to get down to some fun Jewish or Israeli music - or whatever floats your boat. Many traditional Jews don’t listen to music during the Omer, as it is a period of mourning. Also, what’s more fun than a bonfire? Add to the joy by serving up s’mores or other treats. Make a bonfireĪs we’ve established, fires are a traditional way to celebrate Lag b’Omer in Israel - some say this is in honor of the “spiritual light” that the mystical Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai brought to the world. Have fun playing with bows and arrowsĭuring the holiday, Israeli kids are often seen playing with toy bows and arrows - one explanation is that this is in imitation of the revolt by Rabbi Akiva’s students against the Romans. If the weather is nice, have a meal outside and spend some quality time with your family. It’s common in Israel for schoolkids to celebrate Lag b’Omer with barbecues and/ or picnics. Here are some family-friendly ways you can celebrate Lag b’Omer: 1. This year, as we continue to inch closer to the end of a modern-day plague, I encourage everyone to find meaning and joy in celebrating the end of a different plague that occurred many years ago. Even if you’re not an outdoorsy type of person, trust me when I say it’s lots of fun.įortunately, you can celebrate Lag b’Omer even if you’re not in Israel. In the early evening on the holiday, many people light fires and cook all sorts of campfire foods, like hot dogs, baked potatoes and marshmallows roasted on a stick. They celebrate his life by partying up a storm.Īmong less observant Jews in Israel, Lag b’Omer is generally an excuse for friends and family to get together and have a bonfire. In Israel, hundreds of thousands of Hasidic Jews make pilgrimages to his tomb in Meron on this date.
A famed mystic, Shimon Bar Yochai allegedly died on Lag b’Omer. Legend has it that he spent years hiding in a cave, sustained only by a well of water and a carob tree. This disciple, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, fled from the Roman rulers in Jerusalem. The holiday is also connected to a disciple of Rabbi Akiva - whom, it’s worth mentioning, was a supporter of Bar Kochba, who led a ferocious but unsuccessful revolt against Roman rule in 132 BCE. Of course, in true Jewish tradition, there are other backstories to Lag b’Omer as well. However, on the 33rd day of the Omer - yes, Lag b’Omer - God brought the plague to an end. Today we remember these students and their punishment during this time. Why? We’re told that Rabbi Akiva’s students weren’t treating each other with respect. According to the Talmud, the central text of rabbinic Judaism, many years ago during the Omer, God caused a plague that killed thousands of the students of the great Rabbi Akiva.
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