Thousands of persons made the traditional pilgrimage to Jerusalem over the Shavuot holiday, many to practice the tradition of studying the Torah throughout the night. The streets were also filled with tourists and curiosity-seekers. Torah Scholls were provided in great number at the Western Wall for those who visited there for prayer.
Shavuot, which is a harvest festival and the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai is one of three holidays in the year on which pilgrimages are made to this city. Synagogues throughout the country were decorated with green boughs, flowers and plants. Biblical plays were enacted and children observed the ritual of offering the first fruit.
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.
