Large numbers of Jewish men in the armed forces of the United States in the Middle East spent Rosh Hashanah in Palestine visiting the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and being entertained at the Jewish colonies.
Wendell L. Willkie, who left Jerusalem for Iraq on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, paid a visit to the Wailing Wall and witnessed the colorful Jewish crowds recite their prayers for the New Year.
More than fifty American Jewish soldiers were the guests of the local council of the Jewish township of Afula which was developed with investments made by American Jews. In the settlement of Ramat David, near Nahalal, a special party was given to Jewish and non-Jewish American officers and soldiers. Thanking the Jewish settlers for their hospitality, the American captain who was the highest officer in the group said that many Americans who are now in service “somewhere in Palestine” will remember Jewish friendship long after the war is over.
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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.