Remembering the ancients, enjoying Judaism’s beauty

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From a bundle of grain in ancient times to a grand bonfire in contemporary times, Lag B’Omer has been celebrated by Jews around the world for centuries. It marks the time between Passover and Shavous (49 days); when the Hebrews were freed from Egypt to when they received the Torah from God, based on the biblical story.

Lag B’Omer also commemorates the anniversary of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a sage and lead disciple of Rabbi Akiva in the second century. The Jewish holiday takes place 33 days after Passover. That span of time is considered a mourning period. Then the restrictions are lifted and weddings, parties, music listening and haircuts are once again permitted.

For the past 21 years, the Chabad of the Five Towns has celebrated Lag B’Omer (an omer is a bundle of grain) with a huge party that not only includes a bonfire, but also an array of activities, food and entertainment. The 22nd annual event is on Sunday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park in Cedarhurst.

“During temple days they celebrated that there was fresh grain and it was not taken for granted,” said Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, the spiritual leader of the Chabad of the Five Towns. “Rabbi Shimon, known as Rashbi, had a deep understanding of all aspects of the Torah.”

Shimon was the first rabbi to openly teach the Kabbalah, the mystical portion of the Torah. He wrote the Zohar, a classic Kabbalah text. On the day he died, the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, he told his students to celebrate his death.

Two recurring elements of the Chabad’s celebration connect the Jewish religion to the party. The bonfire symbolizes Shimon’s warmth and friendship, and how the Torah is part of a Jewish person’s body and soul, Wolowik said. Children play with facsimile bows and arrows to commemorate the biblical tradition that no rainbows appeared during Shimon’s lifetime. According to the Jewish Bible, rainbows first appeared after the flood with Noah. God then promised never again to destroy the world. God sends a rainbow when the world is deserving of punishment. Shimon’s holiness rendered rainbows moot.

Organizing the event

Chabad’s Youth Director Rabbi Meir Geisinsky has coordinated the past dozen Lag B’Omer celebrations. Like the Thanksgiving Day Parade, when organizers begin planning for next year’s parade the day after, Geisinsky said he, “looks at his task list of 300 things and I tell myself yard by yard it is hard, get moving.”
He takes notes at every event to make the following year’s celebration better. Geisinsky said that this year there will be more inflatables for the kids so the lines are shorter, and more activity booths. He said the first celebration he organized in 2005 drew about 500 people. Last year attendance was “definitely over 2,000.” The rabbi said he had 3,000 drinks, 1,800 hot dogs and 800 hamburgers, and most was drunk or eaten.

“What I like about it is getting so many people outside to enjoy the beauty of Judaism, of family,” Geisinsky said. “It’s our best attended event. It’s beautiful. Every age, every stage [of life]. We have drums for the younger children, food and entertainment. We cover all the bases.”

This year the main attraction is the Jabali Acrobats, a troupe from Mombasa, Kenya, that perform a variety of acrobatic feats ranging from chair balancing to contortions. The group has performed in front of NBA fans, college halftimes and they regularly tour with the Harlem Globetrotters.

Before coming to the Five Towns, the acrobats will be performing for a Chabad in New Jersey. “They are aware of the religious significance of the celebration,” said Rosemary Hable, head of the Class Act Performing Artists and Speakers Inc., the Lake Geneva, Wis.-based agency that booked the acrobats for the Five Towns Chabad last August. “The lyrics in the music used are respectful and they are conservatively dressed, ” she added.