WCC NEWS: WCC expresses great sorrow over loss of lives during Lag B'Omer festival in Israel

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed great sorrow on hearing the news of the loss of many lives caused by the disaster at the Lag B'Omer festival in Israel. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 30 April 2021 Reports indicate that 44 people have died and many more have been injured as a result of a crush that occurred overnight at this religious festival in the north-east of the country.  Sauca noted that it was particularly sad that this festival, anticipated as a time of great celebration following months of restrictions on such gatherings, had been overshadowed by such a devastating disaster. As a pilgrim at the festival commented: "Rejoicing became mourning, a great light became a deep darkness."  Sauca observed: “At such times of terrible tragedy, words may fail us, but we stand in solidarity with all those who have been affected, including the many who are mourning, and we hold them in our thoughts and prayers.” Lag B'Omer, an annual religious holiday attended by tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews and marked with all-night bonfires, prayer and dancing, is held at the town of Meron. The town is the site of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a revered second-century sage. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland