From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Convicted sex offender Rabbi Berland to light bonfire at Lag B’Omer Meron ceremony
Rossella Tercatin is The Times of Israel's archaeology and religions reporter.
Convicted sex offender Rabbi Eliezer Berland is set to light a bonfire at Mount Meron tonight as part of the Lag B’Omer celebrations organized under the auspices of the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry.
Different groups and communities receive a slot to light a bonfire.
According to the schedule published on the ministry’s website, one of the 3:30 a.m. slots is assigned to Berland’s ultra-Orthodox cult, Shuvu Bonim.
Berland, 87, has served separate prison sentences for sex offenses and fraud, and in 2021, was implicated but not charged in the decades-old murder of a teenager.
Yesterday, the High Court rejected a petition from several rights groups, including the Movement for Quality Government, that sought to prevent Shuvu Bonim from participating in the ceremony.
The court did not rule on the case’s merits, but rather on procedural issues, stating there was not enough time to hold a hearing on the matter.
The Times of Israel Community.