In Russian-Annexed Crimea, Lag Ba’omer in the Caves

This year all public Lag Ba’omer celebrations on the Crimean peninsula, a Ukrainian province which had recently been annexed by Russia, had to be cancelled due to the fact that it coincided with a day of mourning for the local Tatar population. Instead, the Jewish community of Simferopol traveled out to the countryside for a unique Lag Ba’omer celebration.

Just as Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai lived in a cave, the community visited the Krasnaya Pshera (Red Caves), located just 20km outside the city.

Rabbi DovBer Haskelovitch, filling in for the Rebbe’s shliach to Crimea Rabbi Yitzchok Meyer Lipszyc, spoke to the group about the importance of Ahavas Yisroel in our times.