Chabad celebrates Lag B’Omer in the park

A festive atmosphere filled Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park as community members of all ages attended Chabad’s ninth annual Lag B’Omer celebration on May 18.
“Chabad over the world celebrates this day by sponsoring community-wide events to emphasize the idea of mutual respect and unconditional ahavas yisrael (love of a fellow Jew),” said Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, director of Chabad of the Five Towns.
Lag B’Omer marks the end of a 33-day period of mourning to grieve for the disciples of second-century sage Rabbi Akiva. Akiva’s students died due to a lack of mutual respect for one another, Wolowik said.
It also marks the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, an Akiva disciple and noted sage and Kabbalist, who wrote the Zohar, a classic text of Kabbalah, which are the teachings of Jewish mysticism.
Children were entertained by a variety of activities, including games of tug-of-war, a bounce house, a large chess set, and plastic bow and arrow shooting. “My favorite part was playing tug-of-war and chess with my three brothers,” said Baruch Bluth, 9, of Hewlett.
A roaring bonfire attracted a large crowd of celebrants, who also munched on hot dogs, hamburgers and chips, as families spent time together celebrating the holiday. During the main attraction, the crowd was enthralled by the daring stunts of BMX bikers, and roared with excitement.
Woodmere resident Avi Fertig appreciated the feeling of community the event evoked. “It’s like this reemergence of the community, whom you haven’t really seen all at once since the summer,” he said. “But now, everyone comes together in this beautiful park, in the heart of the Five Towns, and you suddenly remember, ‘I’m part of a really great community, filled with a lot of really great people.’”