The Minister of Religious Services, Rabbi Yitzhak Vaknin, decided that the principle of preserving the tradition on Mount Meron will be a guiding principle in all matters concerning determining the limited lighting arrangements that will be held on Lag BaOmer near the Rashbi's Zion.
It was also determined that the list of participants in this year's Meron lightings will include women at a rate of no less than 25 percent.
However, in a letter sent by Attorney Esther Pollak - who represents "women who attend the Rashbi's ceremony on Lag BaOmer every year" - to the minister, under the title "Demand for adequate representation of women at Lag BaOmer events", she demands that women be granted 50 percent of all permits issued by the Ministry of Religious Services.
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""Therefore," the attorney writes, "it is requested that 75 permits be given to the women represented in this letter, 25 permits for each lighting, in order to act according to the unambiguous provisions of the regulations.".
The lawyer adds: "If half of the permits that were issued were issued to women, the CMA requests to receive the list of women according to their place of residence, age, and community affiliation.".
Attorney Pollak notes in her letter to the minister that "the undersigned, along with dozens of women whose names are listed below in the appendix to this letter, are accustomed to attending the Rashbi's memorial service every month, including every year going to the Rashbi's memorial service on the day of Hilula with devotion.".
""For 40 years they have been coming to Meron - during wars, terrorist attacks, snow, and now they want to come even during Corona. Some of them are residents of Meron whose lives revolve around the Rashbi, some are recanters for whom Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is the source of their lives and their recantation, some are women with a profession that can assist in Lag BaOmer events.".
""What they all have in common is that they demand that women's prayers also be accepted in accordance with the Rashbi's decree on the day of Hilula on Meron.".
Copies of the letter were sent to Rabbi Yosef Schwinger, Director General of the National Center for the Development of Holy Places, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Places, the Attorney General, the State Comptroller, and the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women.
