The minor Jewish holiday of Lag ba-Omer, which begins this evening, is traditionally celebrated with picnics, outings, and, nowadays, barbecues. Lenny Ben-David examines a rare photograph, which he dates to April 30, 1918, of Jerusalem schoolchildren setting out on a Lag ba-Omer field trip:
The boys and girls [in the picture’s foreground] come from ultra-Orthodox schools, evidenced by the boys’ hats and frocks. The girls are wearing ultra-Orthodox fashion: shapeless, modest smocks. [To the photographer’s left is] a second batch of girls, behind a Star of David banner, wearing more stylish dresses and hats. . . .
Traditionally, on Lag ba-Omer Jews flock to the Galilee mountaintop of Meron and to the grave there of Simon bar Yoḥai, one of the most famous scholars in the Talmud, [who lived in the 2nd century CE]. But some 100 years ago, travel to Meron would have taken days. Instead, the children took a hike to [the outskirts of Jerusalem to visit] the grave of Simon the Righteous, [the high priest and Jewish leader of the 3rd or 4th century BCE], a common custom 100 years ago in Jerusalem.
The picture was taken just four months after the British forces captured the city of Jerusalem [from the Ottoman Turks]. The city’s Jewish residents received the soldiers as their saviors—saving them from severe hunger and deadly diseases. The children had much to celebrate. . . .
Today, Lag ba-Omer is a day when Jewish children still go out to parks and forests to celebrate. In Jerusalem, many traditional Jews still visit Simon’s grave.
Read more on Israel Daily Picture: http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2018/04/lag-bomer-festival-100-years-ago-april.html