May Day, the international holiday of the labor movement, was celebrated in an uncertain and desultory manner in Israel on Tuesday.
There were no parades, massed red flags or ringing oratory, as in years past.
Reflective probably of the ebbing of socialist fervor here and abroad, and the fact that Israelis have just had two days off from work — Remembrance Day and Independence Day — most people stayed on the job.
Teachers and students were given the option to take the day off, if they gave advance notice. Israelis are given the choice to observe either May Day or Tisha B’Av.
The choice applies to government employees, but most reported for work.
Although some enterprises of Histadrut, Israel’s trade federation, were closed, and others manned by skeleton staffs, Histadrut was reluctant to call for a general work stoppage, which could hurt the economy at a time of high unemployment.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
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.
