Automobiles and buses crowded roads and highways throughout the country last night and this morning as hundreds of thousands of Israelis began returning home following Rosh Hashanah–the only holiday observed here for two days–which gave Israelis a rare three-day weekend. Police toiled late into the night to untangle the traffic Jams and loosen up the major arteries in and out of Tel Aviv which were blocked with long lines of bumper-to-bumper traffic.
During the High Holy Days, worshipers filled synagogues from Metulla in the north to Eilat in the south where sermons by rabbis were devoted in nearly every case to the plight of Soviet Jewry, Crowds including many tourists also filled hotels and resort areas as mild and pleasant weather prevailed throughout the country with the exception of the Haifa area which had an unseasonal five minute shower–the nation’s first rainfall.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
