Following the uproar over the decision of the Ministry of Education and the Chief Rabbinate to postpone the Lag BaOmer bonfires and the day off for educational institutions, in order to prevent mass desecration of Shabbat, the 'Seal' organization reveals that the Rabbinate acted about 50 years ago - and postponed the Lag BaOmer celebrations in order to prevent mass desecration of Shabbat.
Letters and announcements from 1926 reveal that already that year the Chief Rabbinate had determined that the Lag BaOmer celebrations would take place on Lag BaOmer itself and not on the night of Shabbat.
""Due to the serious concern of desecration of Shabbat that may be caused by crowds going out for celebrations on Shabbat," according to the Rabbinate's press release in 1966.
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In another document, the Rabbinate called on the Minister of Religious Affairs to act in accordance with its decision.
The Rabbinate even published street advertisements calling on the public to act in the spirit of their decision, stating: "This decision has been forwarded to the Minister of Religious Affairs and to the attention of the city rabbis, as well as to all parties concerned with organizing the celebrations.".
The seal notes: "The decision of the Rabbinate that year received the full backing of all state institutions, so it is puzzling that the issue has to be reopened every time Lag BaOmer falls on the night of Shabbat.".
In the seal, they added: "Lag BaOmer and the custom of lighting bonfires on this day is a custom that has become popular with religious and non-religious Israeli children. We believe that the Sabbath will be established in the hearts of Israeli students as a Sabbath day. The decision of the Rabbinate and the Ministry of Education to strengthen the Sabbath on this day unites all of Israel around the message of unity and mutual responsibility.".
