Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber does not plan to issue a warning against bonfires ahead of the Jewish holiday of Lag B’Omer, unless “the firefighters asked him to do it,” a spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.
A spokesperson for the Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef tells The Times of Israel he does not plan to take a position on the issue.
Lighting bonfires is a tradition during Lag B’Omer, which this year falls on Thursday night and Friday. However, Israel has in recent weeks been battling wildfires, particularly during extreme weather conditions. A new heatwave is set to hit Israel on Friday and Saturday.
On May 1, a fire in the area between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh burned 20,000 dunams (5,000 acres), forcing several communities to evacuate and closing the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and other roads for hours.
On Tuesday, the Fire and Rescue Authority issued an appeal to local authorities asking to ban bonfires in open areas between May 9 and May 18.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
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