More than six hundred people participated in the annual Lag B'Omer Parade which was held outside of Lubavitch House in Stamford Hill, Head Office of Chabad Lubavitch UK.
Children and students of Chabad Lubavitch kindergartens and schools from Stamford Hill, and members of the wider local community gathered outside of Lubavitch House in the presence of members of the Directorate of Chabad Lubavitch UK, Rabbonim, and local civic leaders – Cllr Fajana-Thomas Speaker of Hackney, Mr Gordon Bell MBE, Cllr Desmond, Cllr Jacobson and Cllr Sharer all from Hackney council.
The MC, Rabbi Korer of Chabad Islington introduced the Speaker of Hackney, who addressed the children and said how proud she is of them, after which Rabbi S Lew spoke conveying the importance of the day of Lag B`omer. After this a number of children recited the 12 Torah Pesukim initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The children marched from Lubavitch House along Stamford Hill towards Clapton Common bearing banners portraying Jewish themes and singing traditional songs accompanied by joyful music from Rabbi Y Cyprys of Shir Chodosh band.
The day of Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer the period between the two festivals Pesach and Shavuot, is the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, famous as the author of the Zohar, the central text of the Kabbala. Jews joyfully celebrate the day around the world, particularly at Meron (near Tsfat) in Northern Israel, the site of Rabbi Shimon's grave.
The traditional festivities on this day express the importance of the mystical dimension of Judaism, revealed at successive points through the generations by personalities like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century Israel), the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, 16th century Israel)), the Baal Shem Tov (18th century Ukraine), and great Chassidic leaders like the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
This festive day is celebrated by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, amongst others, at Chabad centres around the world, with parades music and joyful celebrations for the whole community.