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NEWS
Activists Prevented Chilul Shabbos by Hundreds of Police
Assigned to Meron
By Betzalel Kahn, A. Cohen and Tzvi Sofer
Following requests by Vaadas HaRabbonim Lemaan Kedushas
HaShabbos, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and Chief Rabbi Yonah
Metzger, police officials altered plans to send hundreds of
policemen to Meron on Shabbos in preparation for Lag BaOmer
that began motzei Shabbos. Similarly Egged announced later
departure times for the first buses leaving chareidi
communities for Meron.
The National Roads Company stopped construction work on the
roads leading to Meron from Jerusalem and the central region,
to avoid interfering with traffic.
Ezer Mitzion operated a special program to assist the elderly
and handicapped from the parking areas to R' Shimon Bar
Yochai's gravesite. For the past several years a large staff
of drivers and volunteers has transported them free of charge
following a request by the heads of the Holy Sites Authority
and the police. Because the parking area is far away,
visitors have to march a long way up a steep hill to the
site, this year in very hot weather.
Vaad Hahalochoh LeInyonei Genizah made special arrangements
to handle all of the reading material handed out in Meron on
Lag BaOmer. The handouts, produced and distributed by various
organizations and institutions, included tefilloh and
study sheets, song lyrics, tzedokoh appeals, etc. The
Vaad worked to save hundreds of thousands of sheets from
being trampled underfoot or thrown out with other refuse by
cleanup workers.
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