Fifty Jewish Chaplains Will Conduct Rosh Hashonah Services at Overseas Posts

Fifty Jewish chaplains, regularly assigned to overseas stations, will be conducting services on Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur on every front from New Guinea to Italy, it was announced today by the Jewish Welfare Board. Last Rosh Hashonah there were only thirteen Jewish chaplains serving overseas.

“Supplies for the High Holy Day services have been sent overseas by the Jewish Welfare Board to the fifty Jewish chaplains and to fifty-seven Christian chaplains in centrally located points for distribution in their area,” the announcement said.

The Jewish Welfare Board began its preparations as far back as last November when the first shipment were made to overseas points. Since that date the following supplies have been shipped: 175,000 JWB abridged prayer books for New Year and Day of Atonement, 30,000 complete mahzorim, 450,000 New Year greeting cards, 150,000 educational leaflets describing the significance of the High Holy Days, 10,000 voice records for New Year greetings and a quantity of prayer shawls, shofroth and other religious articles.

A cabled request from General Eisenhower’s office for an additional 3,000 mahzorim, 10,000 greeting cards, and 20,000 greeting cards has also been met by the JWB.

Jewish chaplains carrying JWB supplies will also be on hand in bivouac and maneuver areas in this country as well at ports of embarkation and transports to conduct High Holy Day services. All USO clubs and their staffs are cooperating in the High Holy Day arrangements. The congregation of the Methodist Church of Norman, Oklahoma, has offered its facilities to the local JWB Committee for Jewish services. It is expected that other churches will do likewise in small towns where there is no synagogue or temple.