Israelis celebrated their first Passover since the normalization of relations with Egypt, some of them in the land from which Moses liberated their ancestors from slavery. More than 100 Egyptian Jews joined 50 Israelis at a seder in Cairo conducted by Israeli Ambassador Eliahu Ben-Elissar. Ironically, the ceremony was held at the Pharaoh Hotel.
In Israel, Egyptian Ambassador Saod Mortoda was a guest at a seder in the home of Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres. Mortoda, who brought with him a Haggadah with a French translation, frequently asked questions during the readings. When the section on the plagues inflicted on Egypt was read, Mortoda commented, “I represent Egypt not the Pharaoh.” At one point, the Egyptian envoy quipped, “If you were so happy to leave Egypt, why are there such long lines of Israelis asking for entry visas to Egypt?”
The army had its main seder at Camp Kfir in the central region with Defense Minister Ezer Weizman and Chief of Staff Rafael Eytan attending. The soldiers who stole the afikoman were promised a swimming pool and a trip to Eilat. The first day of Passover was a hot day and many people headed for the beaches and picnic areas. Some went to Mt. Hermon where they took what was probably their last chance to ski until next winter.
JTA DURING TRANSIT STRIKE
For the duration of the mass transit strike, the Daily News Bulletin will appear in a reduced two-page form. Despite the drastically reduced staff and related problems due to the strike, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency will provide its subscribers with major news developments.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
