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Jewish Welfare Board Sends Large Shipments of Matzoth to U.S. Servicemen Overseas

March 30, 1944
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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Assurance that Jewish members of the armed forces in every part of the world will be enabled to observe the Passover, which begins Friday eve, April 7, was given today by Frank L. Weil, president of the National Jewish Welfare Board in his report on the holiday activities of the Board.

Shipment of matzoth, sacramental wine, Haggadoth and other Passover supplies, began last November, Mr. Weil revealed. To date more than 400,000 boxes of matzoth, 7,000 gallons of wine and 190,000 Passover prayer books have been shipped by the Jewish Welfare Board and are awaiting distribution to the servicemen and women through regular army channels.

A circular letter issued by the Army to unit commanders in North Africa reads: “Through the same channels that subsistence rations are drawn, a ration of matzoth may be drawn for every Jewish man in the theater. This unleavened bread has been provided by the Jewish Welfare Board. Haggadoth are packed in cases, one for each ration. You may find that a group of your men wish to assemble for a Seder service, if there are no homes to which they may be invited, nor a Jewish chaplain in the immediate vicinity to conduct a service for them. Please give such groups any help they need in organizing the Seder.” Similar circular letters have been issued in every theater of war, Mr. Weil reported.

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