Movie houses, theatres and other places of amusement, as well as banks throughout the country, were closed today in observance of the fast of Tisha B’Av, commemorating the destruction of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem.
Kol Israel, the country’s radio network, canceled all light programs and limited broadcasts to news reports and programs with serious content. Thousands of persons including many tourists attended ceremonies on Mount Zion where the reading of the Book of Lamentations was held in the presence of Religious Affairs Minister Zorach Warhaftig and Jerusalem Mayor Mordechai Ish-Shalom.
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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.