Almost half of Israel’s total population was away from home today, visiting relatives or friends for the Feast of Passover. Among the pilgrims were President and Mrs. Itzhak Ben Zvi who left their home in Jerusalem to visit old friends in the settlement of Degnaia.
More than 5, 000 tourists arrived by air during the past week, from 14 countries, to spend the holidays here. More than 10, 000 tourists and returning Israelis came by ship during the same period.
At Army camps throughout the country, chaplains, assisted by servicemen, worked to prepare the camps for the holidays. By noon yesterday, bread and all other “Chometz” (non-Passover food) had been removed from the camps. By special dispensation of the rabbinate, members of the armed forces were permitted to eat matzot at lunch yesterday before the holiday actually began.
In accordance with custom, all “Chometz” in the possession of the Government was “sold” yesterday to a non-Jew who made a formal down-payment of 150 pounds ($80). After 10 days’ time, Desta Haile, an Ethiopian consular messenger, who during that interval will probably be the richest man in Israel, will “sell” the food stores back to the Government. The sale to the Ethiopian official was made by the Chief Rabbinate.
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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.
