History events
1488 — (11th of Nisan, 5248) Almost a year after publishing Perush Rashi al ha-Torah (Rashi’s commentary on the Torah, Joshua Soncino finished printing “a complete Biblia Hebraica” (Hebrew Bible)
1593 — (30th of Nisan, 5353) The first group of Marranos led by Jacob Tirado arrived in Amsterdam, Holland. This group was the first Jews to settle in Amsterdam after the Spanish Expulsion. Moses Uri Halevi soon joined them and helped arrange for prayer services
1783 — (20th of Nisan, 5543) The Jews sent a petition to Emperor Joseph II which “expressed their gratitude…for his favors and reminding him of his principle that religion should not be interfered with, asked permission to wear beards
1915 — (8th of Iyar, 5675) “Seventy Jews” who are seeking to emigrate to America or Australia arrived in Alexandria today from Jerusalem and described the “terrible economic situation” with flour costing fifteen dollars a sack, potatoes being sold for “six times the ordinary cost” and the appearance of huge swarms of locusts
1936 — (30th of Nisan, 5696) “At Jenin, on the main highway to Jerusalem, a large crowd of Arab villagers help up and stone Jewish buses, wounding two passengers”; “At 5 o’clock this morning a Jewish-owned cardboard factory near Tel Aviv was burned by Arabs.”; “A Jewish merchant in the old city of Jerusalem who tried to open his shop was beaten by young Arab agitators and forced to close.”
1940 — (14th of Nisan, 5700) Ten members of the staff of Ben Shemen Youth village, including the director are sentenced to serve prison terms of up to seven years. The British had raided Ben Shemen in January and found weapons belonging to the Haganah. The prison sentences were for their role in hiding the weapons
1946 — (21th of Nisan, 5706) Opening of Kibbutz Beitar in Bruna
1947 — (2th of Iyar, 5707) Another 769 illegal Jewish immigrants arriving on board the Galata in Eretz Israel were trans-shipped to Cyprus
1948 — (13th of Nisan, 5708) Operation Misparayim (scissors) was launched by the Haganah as part of the Yishuv’s attempt to assume control of Haifa after British withdrawal and attacks had been made by Arab forces to control this port city. By the end of the day, Haifa was in the hand of the mainline Zionist forces
1949 — (23th of Nisan, 5709) Hebrew University reopened in temporary quarters in west Jerusalem
1950 — (5th of Iyar, 5710) Tonight, after the end of Shabbat, Israel began the celebration of her second year of independence. In his address to the nation, President Weizmann called upon Israelis “to celebrate in joy and happiness the great salvation wrought to our people after centuries of exile and affliction.” In Jerusalem, Joseph Sprinzak, Speaker of the Knesset, lit a torch on Mt. Herzl which lit from fire provided by veterans of the Masada Battalion which had defended Jerusalem from attacks by Egyptians and Arab Irregulars during the dark days of the siege of the City of David. Similar festivities took place throughout the country including open air performances, torch light parades and the sounding of sirens by ships of many nations docked in Israel’s major ports
1953 — (7th of Iyar, 5713) The Jerusalem Post reported that the «past seven days was the bloodiest week along Israeli borders for a long time.» Two Israelis were murdered at Mevuot Betar, the marauders were active in the South, in Galilee and Jerusalem; that Israel’s three-years-long land survey, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, had almost been completed.
People
1585 — (23rd of Nisan or 3rd of Iyar 5345) Rabbi Moses (Trani) of Safed, author of “Kiryat Sefer” passed away today
1792 — (30th of Nisan, 5552) Uriah Phillips Levy, American commodore, born
1796 — (14th of Nisan, 5556) Isaac Adolphe Crémieux, French statesman, born
1904 — (7th of Iyar, 5664) Birthdate of Robert J. Oppenheimer — а renowned physicist. He passed in 1967 at the age of 62