Major General Dwight D. Eisenhauer, Commanding General of the U. S. Forces in the European Theatre of Operations, today issued an order that leaves be given “wherever practicable” to Jewish soldiers in the American military units in Europe in order to enable them to observe the two days of Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement.
Simultaneously, it was reported in the press here today that in order to accommodate the large number of Jewish soldiers serving with the United States forces in Northern Ireland, the Presbyterian Church of Ireland has decided to convert its headquarters into a synagogue for the observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
In ordering holiday leave for the Jewish soldiers of the A.E.F. Major General Eisenhauer officially announced: “It is the policy of our headquarters as far as practicable to allow for limited passes to be issued to members of the Jewish faith in order to enable them to attend their religious services on these days. Consistent with the exigencies of the service, individual commanders who are now authorized to issue 24-hour passes, may issue necessary passes and permit officers to be away from their stations to attend the services on the Jewish New Year, September 12 and 13, as well as on the Day of Atonement which falls on September 21.”
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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.