Today in Jewish History

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Adar 14

 

In 355 BCE, the Jews celebrated their successful defeat of Haman's anti-Semitic mobs, an event we commemorate today with the Purim holiday.We read the Megillah (Scroll of Esther), dress up in costumes, and celebrate how the Jews of Persia narrowly escaped annihilation, thanks to the bravery of Esther and Mordechai. In Shushan, the Persian capital, however, the battle lasted one additional day and Purim was not celebrated until the 15th of Adar. Thus today in Jerusalem, Purim is celebrated one day later than the rest of the world. (During Jewish leap years we celebrate Purim in the second month of Adar.)

Adar 14 is also the day in 1912 that Henrietta Szold founded Hadassah, the women's Zionist organization. In 1892, even before Herzl's activities, Szold and her father formed the first Zionist society in Baltimore, and Hadassah was her idea to mobilize American Jewish women in support of Israel. In 1920, Szold made aliyah, wher she supervised the opening of Hadassah medical units, playgrounds and public health programs. At age 73, Szold, as head of the Youth Aliyah Department, traveled to Germany where she worked to save Jewish youth destined for Hitler's ovens. Szold is buried in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Today Hadassah operates the largest hospital in Jerusalem, and its 300,000 members make it one of the largest women's organizations in the world.

Also on this day, in 1942, in the town of Zdunska Wola in Nazi-occupied Poland, 10 Jews were hanged by Hitler's SS, in a sadistic parody of events in the Book of Esther. To add to this debacle, the Gestapo ordered all Jews out of their homes in order to witness the hangings. On Purim day the following year, 1943, there was another 'Purim massacre' in the Polish town of Piotrkow, where 10 Jews were executed. Hitler harbored a venomous hatred for the holiday of Purim: When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, he banned the reading of the Book of Esther, an ordered that all synagogues be closed and barred on Purim day. "Unless Germany is victorious," he proclaimed, "Jewry could then celebrate the destruction of Europe by a second triumphant Purim Festival." Incredibly, when Nazi officer Julius Streicher ascended the gallows to be hanged at Nuremberg, he shouted, "Purimfest 1946."

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Adar 15

 

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidonover (1646-1712), author of the ethical work, Kav HaYashar ("The Just Measure"). As a boy, during the war between Sweden and Poland, he fled with his family to a village near Lublin. Two years later they were attacked by Cossacks, and his two sisters were killed. Kav HaYashar posits that it is incumbent upon any person who has been saved from a crisis to either correct something in his life or initiate a good deed, so that people will be aware that he is expressing his gratitude to God. This idea, he says, applies to everyone, for who can say he has never been saved from a tragedy?

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Adar 16

 

In 1656, Governor Peter Stuyvesant of New Amsterdam refused to grant the Jews permission to build a synagogue. Stuyvesant was infamous for his anti-Semitism. In 1654 he wrote: "The Jews who have arrived would nearly all like to remain here, but... [we have] deemed it useful to require them in a friendly way to depart... that the deceitful race -- such hateful enemies and blasphemers of the name of Christ -- not be allowed further to infect and trouble this new colony." Jews were spared eviction because the Dutch West India Company was heavily dependent on Jewish investments. Stuyvesant contented himself with subjecting the Jews to indignities: He denied them the right to serve in the military and forced them to pay extra taxes. As for Stuyvesant's refusal to allow a synagogue, history would take revenge: On this same date in 1897, Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary was incorporated as America's first Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary.

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Adar 17

 

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yisrael Zev Mintzberg, the leader of chassidic Jews in Jerusalem's Old City during the Israeli War of Independence. When the Arab Legion placed a siege on the Old City, Rabbi Mintzberg negotiated a cease-fire with the Jordanians to allow the civilians to leave.

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Adar 18

 

This date marks the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1879-1953), on the very day that the "Doctors' Plot" trial was set to begin. The Doctors' Plot was one facet of Stalin's ruthless anti-Semitic campaign that falsely charged the Jews with espionage against the Communist Party. It accused some of Russia's most prestigious doctors -- mostly Jews -- of a vast plot to poison the top Soviet political and military leaders. Scores of Soviet Jews were fired from their jobs, arrested, sent to gulags or executed. This was accompanied by show trials and anti-Semitic propaganda. Pravda wrote: "Unmasking the gang of poisoner-doctors struck a blow against the international Jewish Zionist organization." Some historians contend that Stalin was preparing a Soviet-wide pogrom, a "Second Holocaust," but the scheme was cancelled upon Stalin's death. Soviet leaders later admitted that the charges had been entirely invented by Stalin and his cohorts.

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Adar 19

 

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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Adar 20

 

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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Adar 21 

 

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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Adar 22

 

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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Adar 23

 

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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Adar 24

 

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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Adar 25

 

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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Adar 26

 

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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Adar 27

 

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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Adar 28

 

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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Adar 29 

 

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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Nisan 1

 

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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Nisan 2

 

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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Nisan 3

 

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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Nisan 4 

 

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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Nisan 5

 

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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Nisan 7 Print Version »

 

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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Nisan 8

 

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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Nisan 9

 

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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Nisan 10

 

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.