Thousands of Jews made a pilgrimage to Mount Zion yesterday on the first day of Shavuot to recite prayers at the reputed site of the tomb of King David who, according to tradition, was born and died on Shavuot. Many devout worshippers maintained a night-long vigil at the tomb reciting the Psalms.
Many groups of religious youth made their way to the site where they danced and sang in a twilight lightened by the fires of Sephardic Jewish families who barbecued food for their praying men folk. Synagogues throughout the country were decorated with traditional greenery and drew capacity congregations for the readings of the story of Ruth.
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.
