Hundreds of thousands of people, according to police estimates, were headed Saturday night to Mount Meron in the Galilee to celebrate the holiday of Lag B’Omer, in a gathering which marks the passing away of Kabbalist sage Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, who is buried at the site.
Police forces were preparing for the arrival of some 300,000 Israelis to the site, police said. Some 50 people needed medical attention following injuries suffered during the early part of the celebrations, Ynet reported.
Lag B’Omer is traditionally celebrated by lighting bonfires, symbolizing the light which supposedly radiated from the rabbi’s body while on his deathbed.
Over 15,000 people made their way north starting Friday, camping out in tents near the site.
Police, firefighters and medical teams were on hand to make sure there were no disturbances, Channel 10 reported.
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Last year, 70 people were evacuated from the site to the Ziv Hospital in nearby Safed to be treated for injuries.
Adiv Sterman contributed to this report.
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