Men and women, young and old, civilians and soldiers, crowded the Choral Synagogue here today and yesterday during Passover services at which messages from Marshal Joseph Stalin and from the Chief Rabbinate of Palestine were read by Samuel Chobrutsky, president of the Moscow Jewish Community.
For the benefit of religious Jews, the Moscow city administration arranged that matzohs be sold in lieu of bread rations to all those who wanted them. Matzoh baker, ries were set up in various districts of the city.
In his message, Stalin expressed thanks to the Jews of the USSR for the contribution they made to the war effort. A special prayer for Stalin was hold during the services. Many of the worshippers were given leave by their factories and offices to attend the Passover services in the synagogue.
In his Passover sermon, Chobrutsky reviewed the history of Jewish tribulations from the days of Pharach to Hitler and concluded by saying: “The Red Sea saved our ancestors from Pharaoh’s hands, and the Red Army saved us from Hitler’s hands.”
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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.
