The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog, will be the host tonight to some 50 diplomats of member states of the United Nations and their families at the seder he will celebrate in his home. Rabbi Herzog and Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim today broadcast Passover messages to the people of Israel over the government radio network.
The Government of Israel, meanwhile, has made a symbolic transfer of “chometz” in a contract signed by Zeev Sherf, Chief Secretary of the Government of Israel, with an Arab citizen of the state. In this manner the government will obey the traditional injunction against having food and goods on hand which were not specifically prepared for the holiday. The “transferred chometz” consists of government stores in warehouses, harbors and railheads. The property will be returned to the government at the end of the eight-day festival.
Passover parcels have been sent by the Army to four soldiers captured by the Syrians last December and still held in a Damascus prison. Gifts for the men were sent under an arrangement worked out by the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.
The tourist influx, which continued all through the day and is not expected to end until tomorrow, has brought in more tourists than ever before at this season. Jerusalem hotels are booked to capacity and arrangements have been made for public seders for tourists for tonight and special “second seders” tomorrow for those who miss the festivities tonight.
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