When A Similar Tragedy Happened in Meron on Lag Be'Omar in 1911

An 1885 photograph of the balcony that collapsed some 26 years later, in 1911.

 The tragedy at the celebration of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai occurred on the night of Lag B’Omer 5671, May 15, 1911, when a crowd of about 10,000 filled the compound and a railing collapsed, causing many to be crushed in the collapse and the panic that followed. Eleven people were killed in the tragedy, the deaths of seven were determined at the scene and of four others in the days following the incident. There were 40 wounded.

According to Shmuel Har-Noy, Director General of the Safed Academic College, the Jewish community in the first decade of the 20th century in Tsfat numbered between seven and eight thousand – Tsfat was the second-largest Jewish community in the country, after Jerusalem, with the largest Chassidic community. There were many kollels in Tsfat, most of whose students depended on the “distribution” charity for their livelihood. Medical treatment in the city was provided by several Jewish doctors but was based mainly on the English and Scottish mission institutions. Towards the end of the first decade, a hospital built by the Rothschild family was inaugurated.

On 18 Iyar, 5671, May 15, 1911, crowds gathered for the annual celebration at the tomb of the Rashbi in Meron. The author Joshua Bar-Yosef describes in his book “Magic City” (1949) what happened next:

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After tragedy, reports emerge that politicians were pressed not to limit Meron event by Haredi politicians and their political allies

Terrifying video shows moments before deadly stampede at Israeli holy site

 

Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand at the bottom of a staircase, leading from a narrow walkway where a stampede led to mass fatalities at Lag B’Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021.

As the initial shock and horror over Thursday night’s deadly crush at Lag B’Omer festivities on Mount Meron began to subside, focus started to turn on Friday toward the matter of who was to blame for the packed conditions at the site that led to the deaths of 45 people and the injuring of dozens of others in the fatal stampede.

Stark questions will likely be directed at political, civil and law enforcement officials involved in planning, approving and securing the event, amid talk of a potential state commission of inquiry to thoroughly investigate the disaster.

On Friday night, multiple reports in Hebrew media outlets indicated that there had been immense pressure by religious lawmakers ahead of the festivities to ensure that there would be no limits placed on the number of attendees. Some 100,000 ultra-Orthodox pilgrims ultimately attended the event; a framework drawn up by the Health Ministry, in consultation with other government officials, police and others, would have limited the event to 9,000 participants, but was not implemented.

Officials with knowledge of the investigation told Channel 13 that cabinet ministers had pressed police to allow large numbers of people to enter the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, saying this was to compensate for last year’s event being canceled due to coronavirus.

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Arab towns offer food, drink to Meron survivors; hundreds give blood in Tel Aviv

 

עיריית טמרה מכינה תחנת התרעננות ומנוחה עבור המפונים ממירון.
תודה לראש העיר על היוזמה המבורכת. pic.twitter.com/kqrMTASxmc

— Ahmad Mawasi (@ahmadaim) April 30, 2021

Local Arab villages set up stations to offer food and drink to evacuees from the site of the disaster at Meron on Friday morning, as many hundreds lined up to donate blood in Tel Aviv.

Media reports said residents of nearby villages and towns in the north of Israel set up stations with free food and drink for the many thousands of Jewish worshipers still trying to make their way out of the mountainous Meron area in the wake of the overnight tragedy.

According to Yoseph Haddad, an Arab Israeli activist, initiatives to help the evacuees were launched in Tamra, Jish, Yarka and Peki’in.

Radi Najm, mayor of the Druze town of Beit Jan near Mount Meron, said his town had opened its facilities and many families had opened their homes to evacuees and rescuers from the disaster.

“Beit Jan residents and the local council join in the grief of the entire nation,” Najm said in a statement. “They open their homes and the council’s facilities to offer any help possible. I have ordered the [town’s] emergency services to provide any help necessary to the rescue crews. The residents are ready to receive evacuees and families from the disaster area.”

Arab leaders expressed sorrow over the tragedy.

Joint List leader Ayman Odeh spoke of “heartache” for the dozens of families “left torn and bereaved.” He said he was heartened to see Jews and Arabs work together to respond to the disaster, calling it “a small ray of light in the great tragedy.”

Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi tweeted of “a terrible disaster” and his“deep sorrow for those who died on the day they came to celebrate.”

Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas sent condolences to the bereaved amid his “difficult feelings over the terrible disaster.”

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis lined up to donate blood at Magen David Adom mobile units in the iconic Rabin Square, after the organization sent out a call for anyone to come to assist following the deadly stampede.

“I’m number three hundred and something, and I think they’re seeing number 100 now, so I have a long wait ahead,” a man waiting to donate blood told Channel 12 News.

A woman told the outlet that said she had been waiting for two hours to donate but felt that it was important to stay.

According to Channel 12, Magen David Adom had planned to close the units in the early afternoon but decided to remain open as hundreds of residents waited in the sun to donate.

Tel Aviv additionally plans to light up the municipality building with the Star of David on Saturday night, in solidarity with the victims and their families.

At least 45 people were crushed to death and more than 150 people hurt, including many in critical condition, in the tragedy that began to unfold at around 1 a.m. on Friday.

Tens of thousands of people had gathered at Mount Meron in the northern Galilee for an annual pilgrimage around the gravesite of the second-century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai. Army Radio reported that children were among the dead and injured.

Visiting the site of the Meron disaster, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Sunday would be marked as a day of national mourning.

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Confirmed: Kerry Gave Zarif Secret Info on Israel That He didn't Have Before ....

An independently analyzed translation of the leaked audiotape of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif shows that he was unaware of secret Israeli airstrikes until former Secretary of State John Kerry gave him the information.

These new details are in direct contradiction to claims by the State Department in defense of Kerry that the information was no longer classified and already in the public domain at the time of his conversation with Zarif, reported the Washington Free Beacon, who paid for an independent translation of the audiotape.

In the tape, Zarif can be heard saying, “Kerry told me that Israel had launched 200 airstrikes against (Iran).”

"You didn't know?" asked the interviewer.

"No, no," said Zarif.

At a Monday press conference, State Department spokesperson Ned Price appeared to contradict what is on the tape.

"If you go back and look at press reporting from the time, this certainly was not secret, and governments that were involved were speaking to this publicly on the record," he said.

Also, the next day Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the allegations “utter nonsense” and said that the strikes had already been reported in the media. He accused Republicans of trying to "play politics with this,” according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Republicans have been calling for Kerry to resign or be fired from his current White House job as Biden’s climate envoy.

“The allegation that John Kerry told his Iranian pal Foreign Minister Zarif that Israel attacked Iranian interests 200 times is deeply concerning and there needs to be a serious investigation,” Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said in a tweet. “If it’s true, and Joe Biden were a real leader, he should fire John Kerry.”

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List Of Niftarim Killed In Meron ... Their Yurzeits Will Now Coincide With R' Shimon ben Yochai

 

Victims of Meron tragedy include 2 sets of brothers, father of 11, 6 US citizens

Top row (L-R): Menahem Zakbah, Simcha Diskind, Shraga Gestetner, Shimon Matalon;

 2nd row (L-R): Yosef David Elhadad, Moshe Mordechai Elhadad, Moshe Natan Neta Englander, Yehoshua Englander;

 3rd row (L-R): Haim Seler, Yedidia Hayut, Daniel (Donny) Morris, Nahman Kirshbaum; 

4th row (L-R): Abraham Daniel Ambon; Yedidya Fogel, Yisrael Anakvah, Moshe Ben Shalom

• R’ Shragi Gestetner Z”L of Monsey. He is survived by his wife and 6 children.
• 
  

  

  Shragi Gestetner

  
  
• R’ Eliezer Tzvi Joseph Z”L from Kiryas Joel.
• Habachur Yosef Amram Tauber Z”L from Monsey. He was a talmid in Yeshivas Brisk.
• Habachur Menachem Knoblowitz Z”L (22) of Boro Park. He was a Chosson to a girl from Lakewood.
• R’ Eliezer Goldberg Z”L from Beitar Ilit.
• R’ Dovid Kraus Z”L (33) of Beit Shemesh. He is survived by his wife and nine children. He was a Toldos Aharon Chossid.
• R’ Yisrael Alnakvah Z”L (24) of Beit Shemesh. He is survived by his wife and two children.
• R’ Chanoch Solod Z”L (52) from Ashdod.
• R’ Simcha Bunim Diskind Z”L (23) from Beit Shemesh.
• Habachur Eliyahu Cohen Z”L (16) from Beitar Ilit, a talmid of Yeshivas Heichal Avraham in Beitar.
• Habachur Chaim Rock Z”L from Beit Shemesh, a talmid of Yeshivas Mir-Brachfeld.
• Habochur Moshe ben Shalom of Bnei Brak, a Talmid at Yeshivas Ponavezh.
• Habochur Yedidya Fogel, a Talmid at Yeshivas Hatziyonit Hadatit.
• R’ Menachem Asher Zeckbach Z”L (24) from Kiryat Sefer.
• R’ Yehuda Leib Rubin Z”L (27), from Beit Shemesh.
• R’ Yonoson Chevroni Z”L, of Givat Shmuel.
• Habachur Yosef Dovid Elhadad Z”L, Talmid Yeshiva Amalah Shel Torah, Yerushalayim.
• R’ Yehudah Leib Rubin Z”L Ramah 1ג.
• R’ Elazar Gefner Z”L.
• 
  

  

  Nachman Kirshenbaum

  
  
• Habachur Nachman Kirshenbaum Z”L of Beit Shemesh.
• R’ Chaim Ozer Seler Z”L (24) of Nevei Yaakov, Yerushalayim.
• Habachur Moshe Levy Z”L (14) of Kiryat Herzog, Talmid of Talmud Torah Imrei Dovid.
• Habachur Dov Steinmetz Z”L Montreal, Canada, Talmid of Mir Yerushalayim.
• Habachur Yaakov Elchanan Strakovsky, z”l, 20 years odl, Yeshiva Be’er Yisrael.
• Habachur Yosef Mastorov Z”L (26) Talid Yeshiva Rinah Shel Torah, Carmiel.
• 
  
  
  Donny Morris
  
  
• Habachur Nachman Doniel (“Donny”) Morris Z”L (19) Teaneck, N.J., Talmid of Yeshivat Sha’alvim.
• R’ Shimon Matlon Z”L (37), a Rebbe in Talmud Torah Chanichei Hayeshivos.
• R’ Eliezer Mordechai Goldberg Z”L (37), of Beitar Illit. He was a Rebbein Talmud Torah Aderes Eliyahu.
• R’ Shmuel Tzvi Kalgsbard Z”L (43) of Beitar. he was a Rosh Kollel in Rachmastrivka and a Magid Shiur in Yeshivas Meor Einayim.
• BROTHERS: Moshe Nosson Nota Englard Z”L (14) and his brother Yehoshua Englard Z”L (9), of Yerushalayim.
• BROTHERS: Moshe Mordechai Elchad-Sharf Z”L (12) and his brother Yosef Dovid Z”L (18). They live in Yerushalayim.
• Habochur Yosef Yehuda Levi Z”L (17) of Rechasim.
• Habochur Yishai Me’ulam Z”L (17).
• Habochur Avrohom Daniel Ambon Z”L (21) of Argentinia. Talmid Yeshivas Heichal Yitzchak.
• Habochur Eliezer Yitzchok Koltai Z”L (13). He lived in Yerushalayim, formerly of Passaic, NJ.
• R’ Ariel Tzadik Z”L (56) Lived in  Beit Vegan, Yerushalayim.
• R’ Yosef Greenbaum Z”L (22). He lived in Haifa.
• 
  

  

  Yedidyia Chiyuis

  
  
• Habochur Yedidyia Chiyuis (13) nei Brak Z”L.
• Habochur Yossi Kohen Z”L. (21) He was from Cleveland, and was a Talmid at Mir Yerushalayim.
• Habochur Elkanah Shila Z”L (28) of Yerushalayim.
• Tzadik Mordcha Yoel ben Avrum Yakovm Mordechai Fekete Z”L at the young age of 23. (the niftar leaves behind a wife and 2 children, an emergency Chesed Fund campaign was launched, click here to donate)

Monsey Singer Shraga Gestetner killed in Meron tragedy

 

Friday Levayeh Of Shraga Gestetner

Shraga Gestetner, a 35-year-old singer, was among the 45 Jews killed in the Meron disaster during the night between Thursday and Friday.

Gestetner, a resident of Monsey, New York, and a married father of five, was in Israel for a visit at the time of the tragedy.

His mother, Shoshana, grew up in Bnei Brak.

A Skverer hasid, Gestetner was born in Montreal. Though initially he was involved in the world of music, in recent years he had moved from music to business.

Shraga Gestetner, a 35-year-old singer, was among the 45 Jews killed in the Meron disaster during the night between Thursday and Friday.

Gestetner, a resident of Monsey, New York, and a married father of five, was in Israel for a visit at the time of the tragedy.

His mother, Shoshana, grew up in Bnei Brak.

A Skverer hasid, Gestetner was born in Montreal. Though initially he was involved in the world of music, in recent years he had moved from music to business.

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Zera Shimshon Parshas Emor

 

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Police officials blast incident as "a fiasco, start to finish."

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday announced that Sunday would be a "day of national mourning" over the disaster that stuck the traditional Lag B'Omer gathering at Mount Meron overnight.

Dozens of people were crushed to death in a stampede that broke out in the early hours of Friday morning at the prayer compound, where tens of thousands of mostly ultra-Orthodox worshippers had gathered. At least 45 people were confirmed dead and 150 people were injured, with dozens in serious condition and several defined as critical.

Visiting the scene later Friday morning, the prime minister said, "The disaster at Mount Meron is one of the most difficult tragedy's to strike Israel. We will conduct a thorough investigation to make sure this type of tragedy never happens again.

"Sunday will be a national day of mourning. Let us all come together and pray for the victims and their families and for the wounded's speedy recovery," he said.

The incident happened at around 1 a.m. but the specific cause of the disaster at the main celebration honoring Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage and mystic who is buried there, was not immediately clear.

Initial reports said a stand had collapsed at one of the services where thousands of people were taking part. However, Magen David Adom said the tragedy was caused by overcrowding at a narrow pass at the prayer compound.

A police official said dozens of participants in the service had "slipped" on a metal floor, falling on those around them and causing a crushing domino effect.

At around midnight Thursday, organizers had estimated that some 100,000 people were at the site, with an additional 100,000 expected to arrive by Friday morning.

Police, deployed at the compound by the thousands, shut down the event and were evacuating all the participants. Roadblocks were set up to prevent people from arriving at the scene.

The Israeli military was called in to assist in the rescue efforts, sending medics, helicopters, and specialized search and rescue teams. Efforts were compounded by the fact the mobile telephone services in the area had collapsed.

The site was so densely populated, that search and rescue authorities said there were struggling to evacuate those trapped.

Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene to supervise the forces personally. Police and rescue teams evacuated tens of thousands of people from the scene through the compound's parking lots.

Israel Railway began operating trains from northern station Carmiel to Tel Aviv to help clear crowds from the scene.

Magen David Adom rescue service Director-General Eli Bin said the wounded were rushed to the Ziv Hospital in Safed, the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Poriya Hospital in Tiberias, and Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem.

President Reuven Rivlin called it a "heartbreaking tragedy."

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Meron tragedy 'one of the greatest civilian disasters the State of Israel has ever known

 

First responders who arrived at the scene of the Meron disaster spoke about what they had witnessed, describing the events and the initial response.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic Omri Hochman, who was one of the first at the scene, spoke about the tragedy he had witnessed.

"We arrived at the scene when there was a great amount of chaos, and dozens of people ran in our direction," he said. "They shouted at us where to go and said there were dozens of people injured. The sights were very difficult to digest - dozens of injured were lying near the grandstand and on the incline, and dozens more were walking around suffering from various injuries."

"The large number of forces on the mountain began to provide medical treatment and to perform CPR, and by using stretchers we evacuated the injured to MDA clinics on the mountain, and from there we continued treating them in ambulances, mobile ICUs, and helicopters to hospitals in northern Israel and Jerusalem."

MDA paramedic Maor Atedgi recalled Friday morning: "We removed injured people from piles of people, and we performed CPR on people who were critically injured."

"Large numbers of our forces evacuated the injured, some of them to MDA clinics and some to ambulances. In all my years in MDA, I don't remember such an enormous disaster."

MDA Director General Eli Bin said: "This is one of the greatest civilian disasters the State of Israel has ever known, and it is hard to digest the enormity of the tragedy. For over 20 years, Magen David Adom staff have been medically securing the Lag Ba'omer events in Meron, and this year it was one of the most complex security operations that MDA has ever prepared for, with over 250 ambulances and mobile ICUs from around the country, dozens of motorcycles, ATVs, buses for evacuating the injured, unique emergency vehicles, and an MDA helicopter. As we do every year, this year we placed a number of clinics around Meron, in order to appropriately secure the event."

"Yesterday morning, we participated in a largescale exercise led by Israel Police, and we did not imagine that we would find ourselves in such a difficult and complex event. All of the forces acted quickly and with dedication at an extremely difficult and complex scene, in coordination and cooperation with all the others. Even for MDA staff, who are used to difficult scenes, an event on this scale is very hard. We pray and wish a complete recovery to those who are injured, and we share the sorrow of the families whose loved ones were lost in this great tragedy."

Bin also said that at approximately 12:49a.m. on Friday morning, MDA began to receive calls about people who were injured from being crushed near the area where the Toldot Aharon hasidim were gathered by the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron.

"Large numbers of Magen David Adom forces made their way with medical equipment and stretchers, and when they arrived at the scene of the event, they were horrified by the horrible sight of the many who were injured," he said. "It was immediately declared a mass casualty event and the MDA hotline sent hundreds of ambulances and mobile ICUs from around the country, as well as MDA and IAF helicopters."

MDA staff provided medical treatment to 150 people who were injured, and provided hospitals in northern Israel with 207 blood donations and components.

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Cell Phones Belonging to those Killed do not Stop Ringing

 

ZAKA spokesperson Moti Bokchin spoke in an interview with Galei Zahal about the Meron disaster, which left 44 dead and over 100 injured.

"When I arrived at the scene, I understood that this was an unusual event - out of fear, people were running in every direction," Bokchin said.

He added: "The cell phones of those who were killed do not stop ringing, and we see, 'Mommy' and 'My dear wife' - it's unfathomable."

Magen David Adom (MDA) staff have treated 150 people who were injured in the stampede, and transferring six people to hospitals in critical condition, 18 in serious condition, and dozens in light and moderate condition.

Forty-seven of them were sent to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat, while 26 were sent to Poriya in Tiberias, 27 to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, five to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, and one to Ha'emek Medical Center in Afula. One patient who was sent to Ziv was transferred by helicopter to Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.

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