April 17

History events
1528 — (28th of Nisan, 5288) First Jews settle legally in Fuerth, Bavaria
1671 — (17rd of Iyar, 5431) In Amsterdam, construction began on a synagogue under the direction of the architect, Elias Bouman. The Sephardic community had bought the land in December of 1670
1731 — (22th of Nisan, 5491) Yeshivah Minhat Arab became the first Jewish day school in North American when it was founded today in the colony of New York
1750 — (22th of Nisan, 5510) Frederick II issued a general patent to the Jews limiting their role in the Prussian economy to activities involving commerce and industry. Jews were no longer viewed as dependents of the monarch but as citizens of the state even though they were not first class citizens
1765 — (26th of Nisan, 5525) Jews of Arnhem were given permission to build a synagogue
1790 — (3rd of Iyar, 5550) A major pogrom took place in the Jewish community of Tetouan, Morocco. On this day the Muslim ruler Mawlay Yazid entered the city, rounded up all of the Jews, men women and children, and violently stripped them of their clothing. They were left with no dignity, naked for three days in prison. Some of the Jews fearing for their lives escaped to the graves Moorish saints where they would pray for their lives. The Muslim leader had some Jews beheaded to make a statement
1798 — (1rd of Iyar, 5558) Jews were given permission to “settle within the old city walls of Cologne.”
1848 — (14th of Nisan, 5608) Pope Pius IX. issues edict to remove the walls of the Roman ghetto
1875 — (12th of Nisan, 5635) “Die Maccabäer” (The Maccabees) an opera in three acts by Anton Rubinstein and Salomon Hermann Mosenthal which is itself based on the biblical story of the Maccabees was first performed today at the Hofoper, Berlin
1915 — (3rd of Iyar, 5675) The Zion Mule Corps left for Gallipoli. Commanded by Colonel Henry Patterson and organized by Trumpeldor and Jabotinsky, they were a Jewish auxiliary unit of the British Army. The British were not interested in giving them the ability to fight, so they were assigned to provide provisions to the front lines
1925 — (23th of Nisan, 5685) It was reported today that the London Yiddish paper Zeit, the New York Jewish Daily New (Tageblatt), the Jewish Daily Jud of Kishinef and the Hebrew daily Ha’arezt, published in Jerusalem are among the Jewish newspapers that the Polish government has banned from being sold
1928 — (27th of Nisan, 5688) A conference of Communist youth being held in Tel Aviv was broken up by police. Fourteen boys, including one Arab, and six girls were detained by the authorities
1948 — (8th of Nisan, 5708) On Shabbat Hagadol news came that a convoy bringing in needed supplies to Jerusalem had broken through by night. Crowds came down to the Romema road block to greet the convoy. Over 250 lorries bringing a thousand tons of food and arms and ammunition came streaming into the entrance to the city. Written on the first lorry were the words: «If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its cunning»
1967 — (7th of Nisan, 5727) Egypt, Syria and Iraq signed a treaty of alliance that placed their military forces under a unified command with the stated purpose of “liberating Palestine” i.e. destroying the state of Israel

People
1941 — (20th of Nisan, 5701) In Warsaw, a Jewish policeman named Ginsberg was bayoneted and shot by German soldiers after asking a soldier to return a sack of potatoes taken from a Jewish woman
1949 — (18th of Nisan, 5709) Meir Bar-llan, an Orthodox Rabbi from Lithuania who was a leader of the Mizrachi movement passed away today in Jerusalem. Bar-Illan University was named in his memory
1997 — (10th of Nisan, 5757) Chaim Herzog passed away. He served two terms as Israel’s President (1983-1993)