The Jerusalem Parents' Organization presents a new initiative to bring about a compromise: Bringing the bonfires forward to Thursday, so that the Lag BaOmer holiday will take place the following Friday - instead of being postponed to Monday.
According to a report on Channel 2, as part of the parents' organization's proposal, the fear of desecrating Shabbat, the reason why the Ministry of Education decided to postpone the holiday, will be removed.
In addition, Friday is known as a day when most parents do not work and is also recognized in the education system as a short school day.
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The initiative reached the desk of Rabbi Lau, who called it "correct and appropriate.".
According to the report, Rabbi Lau even agreed to advance the bonfires despite the counting of the Omer, during which mourning customs are practiced and it is not acceptable to light bonfires, all of this, he said, to prevent the gratuitous hatred that has been created.
""This proposal, which will certainly prevent the desecration of Shabbat, also aims to add free love and prevent polarization among the people and anger between different communities in Israel," the Chief Rabbi's office said.
Rabbi Lau mentioned that he drew Minister Naftali Bennett's attention to the concern about desecration of the Sabbath on the eve of Lag B'Omer about three months ago, in order to find an appropriate solution, but that only recently did he begin to address the matter.
""If they accept our proposal to bring the holiday forward to Friday and the bonfires to Thursday night, the parents will be satisfied, there will be no desecration of Shabbat, and the entire economy will save a billion and a half shekels as a result of canceling a completely unnecessary Sabbath," said Israel Elisaf, director of the kindergarten division of the Parents' Organization in the Jerusalem Education System. "We are happy that the Chief Rabbinate supports our proposal and expect Education Minister Bennett to accept the proposal and solve the problem.".
As reported in Haredim 10, the Ministry of Education decided on Friday that the Lag BaOmer holiday will be postponed by 24 hours this year, moving from Sunday to Monday.
However, moving the holiday has led to concerns that transportation in Meron on Lag BaOmer will collapse. This is because many buses are required to transport students from educational institutions. The new proposal does not provide a solution to this problem.
