Although attempts were made to make the celebration as festive as possible, Passover this year was a rather dismal holiday for the Jews of Bulgaria, particularly for the many thousands of needy.
This country was probably the only one in Europe where there were no matzohs available, and where the general food situation made it impossible to obtain few special rations.
The synagogues were not crowded and most Jews marked the holiday in their own homes. American, Soviet and British soldiers were guests at many of the seders. Jewish soldiers in the Bulgarian Army received two days leave, as did state employees. All the political parties, through their newspapers, published Passover greetings to the Jewish community.
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.
