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May 23rd

Lag Ba'Omer

33rd Day of the Omer

The Thursday Buffett

Baked Salmon

 Sammy's Hours

Israel Independence Day - Yom Ha'atzmaut

Others say that these students were killed in the Bar Kokhba revolt (in which Rabbi Akiva was a major figure), the plague being the Roman occupation. As an act of censorship, the Talmud attributed their deaths to lack of respect to one another, afraid attributing their deaths to resisting the Roman empire would be viewed as treachery. Viewed in this context, the lighting of bonfires on this evening seems logical, since in ancient times bonfires were used as signals in wartime.

There is some conjecture that the holiday marks the temporary victory of Bar Kochba’s men over the Romans. The holiday became a symbol emphasizing the struggle for national liberation and freedom. The bonfires and the bow&arrow games coincide with Bar Kocvha's revolt.

The day is also the Yortsayt, the anniversary of the death, of the Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai who is believed by some to have authored the Zohar, a landmark text of Jewish mysticism. However there are those who dispute that this day is indeed his Yortsayt on the basis that it appears that in the original texts of Shaar HaKavanot by Hayyim Vital it refers to the day as being 'Yom Simchato' ('Day of his happiness'), rather than 'Yom SheMet' ('Day that he died') - implying that it has either been a scribal or printing error that has led to this misconception. The Ben Ish Chai, and the Chida both confirm that he did not die on this date – additionally the Chasam Sofer discouraged the idea of celebrating on the day even if it hypothetically were in fact his Yortsayt.

During the Middle Ages, Lag Ba'Omer became a special holiday for rabbinical students and was even called the "Scholar's festival." It was customary to rejoice on this day through various kinds of merrymaking.