Lag B’Omer Music Fest

OVERVIEW:

Lag B’omer is a minor holiday that occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot (this year it’s the evening of Thurs. May 15, 2025, to the evening of Fri. May 16, 2025). The period of the Omer is a time of semimourning (Click here if you wanna know why!) and Lag B’Omer is a break from this period of partial mourning. During this period of mini mourning many Jews stay away from activities that spark joy like getting married, cutting ones hair, and listening to music. But Lag B’omer is a 24 hour break the mourning practices. To celebrate and lean into joy, many Jews cut their hair, get married, have bonfires, and listen to music on this day. This program offers several options for your house to host a musical evening in celebration of Lag B’Omer! Pick the option that best fits your community and gather to joyfully celebrate through music.

MATERIALS: 

• Materials listed below with each program option. 

PROGRAM OUTLINE: ~1 hour per option  

• Option #1
  • Have a concert featuring local Jewish musicians. 
• Option #2
  • Host a fireside song circle. 
• Option #3
  • Host a playlist making swap. 

PROGRAM DETAILS:  

Option 1: Have a concert featuring local Jewish musicians 

• Reach out to a (or a few) local Jewish musicians you know in the area to ask if they want to perform at your Moise House.  
• Cultivate the vibe. Will it be a backyard concert decked out with string lights, or a living room jam with dim lights and cozy vibes?  
• Set up the space. Will there be chairs or floor seating or a mash up of any piece of furniture a person could sit on? 
• Collab with the musicians to come up with a run-of-show for the evening. Will there be one musician or multiple? Will it be a bunch of solo acts or a band? What kind of music will they play? How many songs will they play? Will there be an intermission? Who will introduce the artist and thank them at the end? 

Option 2: Host a fireside song circle

• Lean into those summer camp vibes with a fireside song circle!  
• Invite your community members to bring musicians and song suggestions but be sure to prepare a few songs to get the singing started.  
• Consider printing out (or digitally sharing) the Moishe House Songbook so guests can get inspired and have the chords/lyrics in front of them.  
• If you’ve got a fire going, consider ramping up the summer camp vibes with singing and s’mores around the fire!   

Option 3: Host a playlist making swap 

At the end of the time everyone will reveal who they made their playlist for and send the playlist to that person. Consider also having everyone go around and play one song from their playlist!   

Not enough space to host a concert? No outdoor space for a fireside song circle? Not to worry! Celebrate Lag B’omer inside with a playlist swap!  

Tell guests to bring a device (laptop, tablet, or phone).

When guests arrive have them fill out this Playlist Swap Form.    

After all the guests have filled out their Playlist Swap Forms, fold them up and put them in a hat/bag/bowl, shuffle them up and then have everyone pick one (making sure they don’t pick their own).  

Then each person will spend 20-30min making an original playlist on their device for another person there!