Why some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities defy social distancing

The Israeli government knew to expect trouble on Tuesday night. It was Lag Ba-Omer, a Jewish holiday traditionally celebrated in Israel with mass gatherings around roaring bonfires. For the devout ultra-Orthodox community, it is an occasion for making a pilgrimage to Mt. Meron in the country’s north, where the second-century Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is buried.