A slight improvement in the situation of the Jews of the Soviet Union–and that primarily in the religious field–has been reported here by a newly arrived immigrant from the USSR. The report was given by 75-year-old Itzhak Mazor, of Moscow, who arrived here with his wife and four other Jews from the Soviet Union.
Mazor reported a great demand for religious objects like “mezuzah” and phylacteries. Explaining his views on the improvement in the situation, he noted that a Jewish ritual slaughterer was now allowed to work openly in the yard of the synagogue. He also mentioned the approval, a half-year ago, of a new Jewish prayer book, which, he said, would be printed soon. Synagogues were packed during Passover, he reported.
Twenty-one immigrants from Communist counties were among a party of 850 who arrived here aboard the S. S. Jerusalem today. Most of the immigrants were from North Africa. The North African Jews were immediately taken to settlements prepared for them. Several hundred were flown directly to Elath, on the Gulf of Akaba, where homes and furnishings were awaiting them.
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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.
