Jewish men and women in the United States armed forces in the four corners of the globe marked Passover at festive seders at front line stations, in army camps, service centers and private homes, according to reports reaching the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today from Britain, Palestine, Italy, various parts of the United States and front line posts.
In Palestine scores of Jewish soldiers transported from camps in the Middle East attended seders in private homes in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv and other places. The Jewish Hospitality Committee was besieged by the local Jewish population with more invitations than it could begin to use. Many homes had Jewish soldiers from the American, British and South African forces seated around their seder tables. The American soldiers will spend a week in Palestine visiting points of interest throughout the country. Among the Americans are many non-Jews.
A report from Italy states that more than 1,000 Jewish men attached to the American Fifth Army participated in a front line seder attended by Gen, Mark Clark, commander of the U.S. forces in Italy. Gen. Clark told the observant, who included several women, that Jewish soldiers had played an important role in the fighting and that many had been decorated or wounded. Following the services, the men returned to their front line positions.
In Britain thousands of American Jewish soldiers, men and women, were guests in private homes for both seders and many others attended services in the synagogues. The Jewish Hospitality Committee, which works in cooperation with the Jewish Welfare Board, provided seders for servicemen in many British cities.
In the United States thousands of Jewish soldiers greeted Passover at seders in USO clubs arranged by the Jewish Welfare Board and at homes adjacent to army camps. Jewish chaplains officiated at many of the seders, some of which were attended by non-Jewish chaplains and officers.
In many areas American and Canadian Jewish soldiers celebrated the holiday at joint services, the Canadian Jewish Congress reports, revealing that it arranged for 13,000 Jewish men in the Canadian army, navy and air force to observe passover. Seders were held in posts in the far north and on the pacific coast.
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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.
