An appeal to the Bulgarian Government to confirm or deny reports that Bulgarian Chief Rabbi Asher Hannanel had been jailed on charges of “maintaining contact with foreigners,” was made here today by Dr. Zvi Harkavy, a former director of a Jewish school in Sofia before World War II, and a close associate of Dr. Hannanel.
The Bulgarian Chief Rabbi disappeared in Sofia last September, and apprehension regarding his fate has been increasing among former Bulgarians in Israel. Dr. Hannanel failed to attend High Holy Day services in his synagogue in Sofia last Rosh Hashanah and there is no information about his whereabouts to this day. Dr. Harkavy also urged public bodies here and abroad to inquire into his fate.
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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.