A Bedouin in his traditional garb entered a succah manned by members of the Habad Hasidic sect in the central bus terminal here and asked to recite the traditional blessings over the esrog and lulav. He even offered hard cash for the privilege of performing the “mitzvah.” The Hasidim politely rejected the bundle of Pound notes but wondered why a Moslem was eager to make a Jewish benediction. The Bedouin explained that a Jewish friend who made the blessings in a succah last year subsequently had financial success and he hoped to enjoy the same good luck. But he had to content himself with warm wishes for a prosperous year without benefit of lulav and esrog.
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.
