Mount Meron celebrations contested as only one woman is invited
Only 150 people have been given permission to attend the festival. Among the 150 invitees, only a single woman has received an invitation.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFOrthodox Jews of the Satmar Hasidim celebrate Lag BaOmer in the village of Kiryas Joel(photo credit: MIKE SEGAR / REUTERS)
An appeal filed to the High Court of Justice regarding the fact that only a single woman has received permission to attend the limited Mount Meron Lag Ba'omer festival has been rejected, N12 reports.Only 150 people have been given permission to attend the festival. Among the 150 invitees, only a single woman has received an invitation, despite earlier recommendations to the Religious Services Ministry that about one fourth of participants should be women.The reason stated for the rejection of the appeal was time, as the festival will take place on Monday night, with the appeal being made only a few hours earlier.This year, the festival, which is usually a huge event, will have a far more narrowed scope, with only 150 participants in three bonfires held in groups of 50."Despite the fact that the appeal raises great discomfort, considering the time in which the appeal was made and the busy schedule of the festival, when it's a 'done deal' as the festival will take place in a few hours, there is no other option besides rejecting the appeal," the judges told N12.The legal consultant of the Religious Services Ministry has said that the list is now closed, though did mention that the deed was done without her knowledge."The appealers' demand to have their Lag Ba'omer prayers is a fundamental right established in the regulations. Even during these trying times, there needs to be a place for those making the appeal to maintain their religious practices," lawyer Vered Obadia told N12. "This is true for the Lag Ba'omer festival as well as every other religious practice in Israel. The authorities have the duty to allow for conditions that allow both men and women to practice their faith despite the coronavirus crisis."
