As thousands of Christians celebrated the Nativity today at shrines in Jerusalem and nearby Bethlehem, the Western Wall was jammed with Jewish worshipers participating in special prayer services for the Jews in the Soviet Union and the Arab states. The prayers were led by Chief Rabbi Isser Untermann. Psalms were recited and the shofar was sounded.
Similar services were held in Tel Aviv where the Great Synagogue was packed with an overflow crowd. Prayers were recited for Jews in Russia, the Arab countries and any other countries where they are in danger or oppressed. The services were attended by religious leaders, members of the City Council and Israelis born in Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon who prayed for their fellow-Jews left behind.
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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.
