History events
1389 — (22th of Nissan, 5149) A priest of Prague, hit with a few grains of sand by small Jewish boys playing in the street, insists that the Jewish community purposely plotted against him. Thousands were slaughtered, the synagogue and the cemetery were destroyed, and homes were pillaged. King Wenceslaus insisted that the responsibility rested with the Jews for venturing outside during Holy Week
1926 — (4st of Iyar, 5686) “The completion of the first stage in the development of Palestine as the Jewish homeland was announced” today “by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, the Chairman of the United Palestine Appeal following the receipt of a cablegram from Dr. Chaim Weizmann” which said that “immigration figures just compiled show that 100,000 new Jewish settlers entered Palestine from 1919 to 1925.”
1942 — (1st of Iyar, 5702) The death camp at Sobibor went into operation. To mark the opening 2,500 Jews from Zamosc were transported there and sent to their deaths. Only one was chosen to work and lived
1945 — (5st of Iyar, 5705) A list of 801 Jews, that came to be known as “Schindler’s List” was typed today. The people whose names were listed on the 13 page document were spared from a trip to the gas chamber. In 2009, employees at the New South Wales State Library found the list in boxes containing German news clippings and manuscripts by the Australian author Thomas Keneally, who wrote the bestselling novel “Schindler’s Ark,” which was the basis of the famous film about Oskar Schindler and his efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust
1948 — (9th of Nissan, 5708) Following a failed attempt by the Arab Liberation Army to isolate the Jewish community in the lower quarter of the town of Tiberius, the Haganah went on the offensive and secured the town for the as yet un-born Jewish state
People
1165 — (4 Iyar, 4925) Maimon ben Maimon and his family leave Fez for Eretz Israel
1577 — (1st of Iyar, 5337) Rabbi Nathan Shapiro of Horadno, author of Mevo Shearim passed away
1881 — (19th of Nissan, 5641) Earl of Beaconsfield, English premier, died
1902 — (11th of Nissan, 5662) Birthdate of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as “the Rebbe” who was the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe
1947 — (5th of Iyar, 5707) Boxer Benny Leonard passed away at the age of 51. Born in 1896, Leonard was the lightweight boxing champion from 1917 to 1925. This was the heyday of Jewish pugilism with as many as seven Jews holding the championship of different weight categories
1955 — (26th of Nisan, 5715) Albert Einstein passed away