The largest crowd in Jerusalem’s modern history, estimated at more than 100,000 persons, assembled this weekend opposite the walls of Old Jerusalem, at the Jaffa Gate, to join in the traditional Hakafoth, the ceremonial round observed at the service at the end of Sukkoth. The ceremony was led by President Zalman Shazar.
All methods of counting people known to Israeli police failed and officials could only say that the assembly must have exceeded 100,000. The previous record was set on November 30, 1947, when 30,000 Jews assembled in the Jewish Agency courtyard to celebrate the United Nations partition of Palestine recommendation.
President Shazar, carrying a torah scroll, danced to Hassidic melodies played by a band, his head moving ecstatically to and from to the rhythm of the melodies. Dancing with him in the traditional circle were Chief Rabbis Issar Yehuda Unterman and Yitzhak Nissim, Interior Minister Moshe Shapiro. Religious Affairs Minister Zorah Warhaftig, Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, British-Jewish philanthropist Sir Isaac Wolfson, and many other dignitaries.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
