This year is going to be the fourth year in a row that I am going to Meron on Lag Ba’omer. But this year is going to be a little different than the other years. The first year, I went with my friends. They had all talked about how amazing Lag Ba’omer in Meron is and I mostly went because I wanted to say that I did. It was like checking something off my bucket list.

Once I got there, I made sure that I was able to get close to the kever to daven. I always felt strongly about davening at kivrei tzadikim and this was a major opportunity. As the year went on I realized that the things I had davened for had come to pass. I also had the very strong sense that the things I davened for that didn’t happen where bashert as well.

The next year I knew I had to go back. I never stay the whole night. I go and see the fire, I daven as hard as I can and then I dance. Usually at around 2 or 3 am I head back to the buses, which start leaving Meron at around 12 am. One year I stayed close by, one year I headed to Jerusalem and one year, I was staying in Bnei Brak. I get back to my place usually by 5 or 6 am just in time to daven shacharis, and then crash.

For me, the best part of the night is watching the Boyaner rebbe lighting the bonfire. I’m lucky, because I know someone who is able to get me up on top, right near the Rebbe and the band. I know I get a perspective that not many people on Meron get, and I really appreciate it. I soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible. After the fire and dancing, I always make my way to the kever. You see two kinds of people here. Some are just waiting on line and only daven when they get close to the kever. Some people start davening as soon as they get on line and just wait, davening while they slowly get pushed closer and closer. That year I davened for a shidduch. Not just any shidduch though - the right one. I knew Hashem would answer my tefillos.

When I got back to New York, I didn’t know how it would happen, but I knew I would meet my zivug that year. As the year went on with nothing happening, I did not lose faith. I made my tickets to go back to Meron for Lag Ba’omer, still knowing that somehow something was going to happen. I got engaged literally a day before my flight. Engaged for just a day, I went and davened for a happy marriage. That was last year.  This year, I am going to Meron with my wife.