Today in Jewish History

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19 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1848-1932), the beloved leader of Jerusalem Jewry during the first part of the 20th century, at a time when the community was reestablishing itself after many centuries of exile. Whether dealing with immigration issues, fending off violence from Arabs, or ensuring the spiritual sanctity of Jerusalem, Rabbi Sonnenfeld stood at the forefront of the battle to protect Jews in the Jewish capital. In that difficult time, he was a man of courage, scholarship, kindness, integrity and piety -- who came to symbolize and shape the Holy City that he loved.

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20 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yoel Sirkes (1561-1641), known as the "Bach," an acronym of his famous work of Jewish law, Bayit Chadash. Rabbi Sirkes served in several rabbinic posts throughout Poland, lastly as Chief Rabbi of Krakow. He was the teacher and father-in-law of Rabbi Dovid HaLevy, who authored the famous work of Jewish law, Taz (Turei Zahav).

Adar 20 is also the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995), leader of Jerusalem Jewry for much of the 20th century. Rabbi Auerbach possessed a phenomenal command of talmudic literature, and he answered tens of thousands of questions posed from all corners of the world. His rulings -- most notably on scientific, technological and medical matters -- have been published in numerous volumes. Rabbi Auerbach was beloved for his piety and concern for every Jew; he was known to delay prayer services until the street-sweeper arrived. Incredibly, Rabbi Auerbach testified that throughout his entire marriage, he and his wife never once offended or hurt one another. Rabbi Auerbach was so beloved that an estimated 300,000 people attended his funeral -- the largest funeral in Israel since Mishnaic times.

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21 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector (1817-1896), who served as chief rabbi of Kovno, the most prominent rabbinical position at the height of 19th century Lithuanian Jewry. Rabbi Spector collaborated with many of his contemporaries, including Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. His collection of responsa is entitled, Be'er Yitzhak, and various institutions have been named after him, including the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University.

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22 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1907), often called the Aruch HaShulchan, after his main work of Jewish law. He was a prominent Jewish leader in Lithuania, serving as the rabbi of Novordok for nearly four decades. He was the brother-in-law (and later, father-in-law) of the famed Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv), and was the father of Rabbi Baruch Epstein, author of the Torah Temimah.

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23 Adar

This date marks the beginning of the seven-day inauguration period of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied the Jewish people in the desert following their Exodus from Egypt. Moses served as the High Priest during these seven days, and on the eighth day his brother Aaron took over, as recorded in Leviticus chapters 8-9. The Tabernacle was the center of Jewish spiritual life, and the precursor to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

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24 Adar

In 1451, Pope Nicholas V issued a decree forbidding all social contact between Christians and Jews. The Church sought to stop Christian converts to Judaism; throughout Europe, those who did so were liable to the death penalty.

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25 Adar

This date marks the death of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia in 561 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar built the most powerful nation in the world by ruthlessly attacking and annexing neighboring countries. He is sometimes called "Nebuchadnezzar the Great," but he is reviled by Jews for having destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiling the Jews from Israel. The biblical Book of Daniel tells how Nebuchadnezzar erected a large idol for public worship; three Jews refused to take part and Nebuchadnezzar ordered them cast into a roaring furnace. (They miraculously emerged unscathed.) Nebuchadnezzar was a megalomaniac who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; in testimony to his grandeur, each brick was inscribed with his name. Amazingly, in our time, Saddam Hussein pronounced himself as the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, and dreamed of restoring the Babylonian empire to its former size and glory. Saddam commissioned archaeologists to restore the ancient Hanging Gardens, and each new brick was inscribed with Saddam's name. The Book of Daniel (4:30) describes the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar: "He loses his sanity and lives in the wild like an animal." And so it was with Saddam -- driven into a grimy hole, disheveled and deposed. (Nebuchadnezzar later regained his sanity and returned to rule.)

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26 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Sara Schneirer (1890-1935), pioneering founder of the "Bais Yaakov" girls schools. In Europe during the early 20th century, the lack of a formalized education system for girls was placing Jewish girls at risk of assimilation. Schneirer was a seamstress in Krakow, Poland, who started a school, to convey the beauty and wisdom of traditional Judaism, with emphasis on character development. She wrote: "People are such perfectionists when it comes to clothing their bodies. Are they so particular with the needs of their soul?" Schneirer trained other women to set up similar schools, and today Bais Yaakov is a worldwide network of hundreds of high schools. Sara Schneirer was not blessed with children of her own, yet it has been said that she influenced 20th century Jewry, more than any other individual.

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27 Adar

In 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David Peace Agreement at the White House. Sadat had orchestrated the Egyptian attack on Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but after suffering defeat he became resigned to Israel's existence. As part of the Camp David deal, Israel withdrew from the entire Sinai Peninsula. For forging this first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab state, Sadat and Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Much of the Arab world was outraged by Sadat's overtures toward Israel, and he was assassinated by a Muslim extremist in 1981.

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28 Adar

In 163 BCE, two years after the miracle of Chanukah, Syrian King Antiochus V granted religious freedom and political autonomy to the Jews in Israel. This reversed an earlier decree of his father, King Antiochus IV, prohibiting Torah study, Shabbat observance and circumcision. This event was commemorated for many centuries as a Jewish holiday.

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29 Adar

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky (1891-1986), leader of 20th century American Jewry. He studied in Europe under the famed the Alter of Slobodka, and was a teenage friend of Rabbi Aaron Kotler. In 1937, Rabbi Kamenetzky moved to America and became dean of Yeshiva Torah V'Daas. He was revered for great kindness and compassion, and his commentaries on Bible and Talmud were published under the title, Emes L'Yaakov.

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1 Nisan

On this date the inauguration period was completed for the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied the Jewish people in the desert following their Exodus from Egypt. On this day, Moses' brother Aaron began serving as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). Tragically, however, two of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, died after entering the Holy of Holies unauthorized. The events are recorded in Leviticus chapters 9-10.

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2 Nisan

In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain signed a decree expelling all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Tomas de Torquemada served as "Grand Inquisitor," charged with uncovering those who continued to practice Judaism in secret (called Conversos or Marranos -- "pigs"). In the ensuing Inquisition, an estimated 32,000 Jews were burned at the stake in elaborate public ceremonies, and another 200,000 were expelled from Spain. At the time, Jews held many prominent posts in Spain; Rabbi Don Yitzhak Abrabanel, who served as finance minister, reportedly offered Queen Isabella the astronomical sum of 600,000 crowns to revoke the edict. Abrabanel was unable to prevent the expulsion and was exiled along with his people.

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3 Nisan

In 1944, the Nazis perpetrated the Children's Action in the Kovno Ghetto. That day and the next, German soldiers conducted house-to-house searches to round up all children under age 12 (and adults over 55) -- and sent them to their deaths at Fort IX. Eventually, the Germans blew up every house with grenades and dynamite, on suspicion that Jews might be in hiding in underground bunkers. They then poured gasoline over much of the former ghetto and incinerated it. Of the 37,000 Jews in Kovno before the Holocaust, less than 10 percent survived. One of the survivors was Rabbi Ephraim Oshri, who later published a stirring collection of rabbinical responsa, detailing his life-and-death decisions during the Holocaust. Also on this date, in 1937, American Jews held a massive anti-Nazi rally in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

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4 Nisan

In 1948, a convoy of 78 Jewish medical personnel, en route to Hadassah Hospital in the Jewish enclave of Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, were killed in an Arab ambush. The ambush cut off the hospital from the rest of Israel and forced Hadassah to relocate, eventually opening a larger medical center in 1961 at Ein Kerem. The Mount Scopus facility would reopen after Jerusalem was reunited in 1967.

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5 Nisan

In the Hebrew year 2488, Joshua sent scouts to survey Jericho in anticipation of the Jewish conquest. The mission was risky in the sense that 40 years earlier, Moses had sent scouts to Israel, only to have them recommend against entering the land. This time the mission was successful, and in the ensuing siege, Joshua's troops -- amidst shofar blasts -- encircled Jericho seven times until its walls came down. The events are recorded in the biblical Book of Joshua, chapters 2 and 6.

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6 Nisan

This date marks the death of Marc Chagall (1887-1985), the greatest Jewish painter of modern times. Chagall's work depicted biblical and Judaic themes, as well as village life in eastern Europe. Chagall's style is dreamlike, relying heavily on symbolism such as fiddlers, candlesticks and cows. With the German occupation of France during World War II, and the deportation of Jews to concentration camps, Chagall fled from Paris to America. (He moved back to France after the war.) Chagall created a mural for the Knesset, and stained glass windows for the synagogue of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Today, a Chagall original can sell for more than $10 million.

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7 Nisan

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Meir Schiff (1608-1644), commonly known as the Maharam Schiff. Born in Germany, he was a childhood prodigy who became rabbi of a town at age 17. At age 36 he was appointed to the prestigious position of rabbi of Prague, but he died shortly after arriving in Prague. His genius is preserved in a book of talmudic commentary that is studied widely today.

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8 Nisan

On this date in 1915, the Zion Mule Corps, a Jewish militia, was formed. Zev Jabotinsky had proposed that Jewish volunteers fight to liberate Palestine from the Turks, but the British resisted the idea of Jewish soldiers on the Palestinian front. So instead Jabotinsky established the Zion Mule Corps, whose 650 members were commanded by the famed one-armed fighter, Joseph Trumpeldor. It was essentially the first organized Jewish fighting force since Roman times, and a precursor to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF).

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9 Nisan

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Aryeh Levine (1885-1969), affectionately known as the Tzaddik of Jerusalem. Rabbi Levine exemplified the ideal of identifying with another person's pain. Once, when his wife's foot became infected, Rabbi Levine explained to the doctor: "Our foot is hurting us." During the pre-state era, Rabbi Levine served as volunteer chaplain for Jewish prisoners imprisoned by the British authorities. He brought them food, clothes and love -- walking to see them through blinding rain and searing heat. His selfless devotion made a great impression on the prisoners: Once when Rabbi Levine's daughter became dangerously ill, the prisoners made a deal with God -- donating a portion of their own lifespan so that Rabbi Levine's daughter should live.

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10 Nisan

Yahrtzeit of Miriam, the biblical prophet, who died in the Hebrew year 2488. Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. Miriam means "bitter sea," because she was born at a time when the Egyptians embittered the lives of the Jews. Despite the hardships, Miriam remained strong, and it was she who convinced her parents to remarry and have more children, in the face of Pharaoh's decrees. The result was the baby Moses. It was Miriam who watched over Moses as he was set afloat in the Nile River. Miriam is also noted in the Bible for leading a victory song after Pharaoh's army was drowned in the Red Sea. And the well of water, which miraculously accompanied the Jews during the 40 years of wandering in the desert, is attributed to her merit.

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11 Nisan

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

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12 Nisan

The Jewish King Chizkiyahu fell critically ill, as recorded in the second Book of Kings, chapter 20. The prophet Isaiah visited Chizkiyahu and informed him that the sickness was a punishment for Chizkiyahu's refusal to have children. Chizkiyahu explained that he'd prophetically seen that an evil person would descend from him, and that's why he hesitated to have children. Isaiah countered: "You have a mitzvah to have children -- let God worry about the rest." Chizkiyahu prayed for forgiveness and God granted him another 15 years of life. The episode illustrates a foundation of Jewish thought: It is up to us to make the appropriate effort, while the result are in God's hands.

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13 Nisan

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575), author of Shulchan Aruch, the standard Code of Jewish Law. Rabbi Karo was forced to flee Spain at the time of the expulsion, eventually settling in the holy city of Tzfat, Israel. His writings in Jewish law include Beit Yosef, an encyclopedic commentary on the Tur (written and refined over 30 years), and Kesef Mishneh, a commentary on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah. Yet Rabbi Karo is best known for his Shulchan Aruch, which covers the gamut of practical Jewish law; almost all Jewish legal discussions to this day stem from this code. Rabbi Karo also had kabbalistic leanings (he was a contemporary in Tzfat of the great Arizal) and he authored a book, Maggid Mesharim, in which he records his discussions with an angel. Rabbi Karo is affectionately referred to as the "Mechaber" ("the Author"), i.e. the rabbinic author par excellence.

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14 Nisan

In the Hebrew year 2448 (1312 BCE), the Jews in Egypt offered the Passover lamb, to be eaten later that night at the first Passover Seder. This was an act of great courage, as sheep were regarded as idols in Egyptian society, and the Jews were technically still subject to Egyptian slavery. This was God's way of emphasizing the idea that Egyptian society was in a state of collapse. In times of the Holy Temple, the Passover Lamb would be offered by every Jewish family; many thousands of lambs would be processed and prepared in the Temple during the afternoon hours preceding the Passover holiday.

On this date in 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising broke out. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish ghettos established by Nazis during the Holocaust. It initially held 400,000 people (30% of the entire population of Warsaw), crammed into a tiny area. In its three years of existence, some 100,000 Jews died of disease and starvation, before the Nazis deported some 265,000 Jews to the Treblinka death camp. When the Nazis decided to liquidate the ghetto, Jewish resistance fighters took action, digging hundreds of bunkers under the houses, connected through the sewage system. The final battle started on the eve of Passover 1943. Some 750 Jewish partisans shot and threw grenades at German patrols from alleyways, sewers and buildings. The Nazis responded with tanks and flamethrowers, rounding up or killing any Jew they could capture. After several days without quelling the uprising, the Nazis ordered the ghetto burned to the ground. The uprising ended after one month; approximately 300 Germans and 7,000 Jews were killed in the fighting. The remaining 30,000 Jews were sent to Treblinka for extermination. Several dozen fighters escaped through the sewers, and a number of these survivors went on to found Kibbutz Lohamei HaGetaot, located near Acco in Israel.