Israeli Government Rebuilding Kohanim Pathway in Meron

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meronThree and a half months after demolishing a pathway for kohanim at the kever of Rav Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, the Israeli government is rebuilding it.

The Tourism Ministry has acceded to the request of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok chassidus and has allocated NIS 600,000 to quickly build the pathway before Lag Ba’omer, which draws half a million people to Meron.

The pathway was built last year without a permit, but with government funding, and was recently demolished after a legal battle. Now, hurried construction to rebuild it is being carried out.

Rav Meir Stern, rov in Meron for the past 50 years, has said that in his opinion there is no need for the pathway. He says that there are no sepulchres on the main road leading to the kever, and if that was true, kohanim would be unable to use the main road according to halacha.

Last year, the Tourism Ministry allocated NIS 200,000 for the pathway.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov recently visited the kever and declared that in the near future a government company for administration of Kever Rashbi in Meron would assume responsibility for all activities at the site. The board of the company has already been chosen, and according to the ministry’s plans, the company will plan and administer the Lag Ba’omer festivities as early as next year.

Currently the ministry allocates NIS 6 million for the daily administration of the site, and NIS 7 million more for the Lag Ba’omer festivities.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}


5 COMMENTS

  1. #1 Oldtimer
    You don’t know the half of it.
    What may we ask does all that money get spent on?
    $6 M/year on what? That comes out to about $16,500.00 per day!!! (including Shabbos) What is given for that? Where? Into who’s pocket?.
    Granted, on Lag B’Omer, we got police, Mogen David Adom, & firefighters working 24 hours. How many of those, on thier meager salaries (doing one of three 8 hour shifts) – even if paid double-time, no triple-time would add up to $7 M?

  2. This a major problem in EY – every little group is only looking out for its own interests and its own pocketbook, not for the well-being of the country as a whole. Come to think of it, we’ve got a little problem with that here in the US, too.:-(

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