History events
-11 — BCE (15th of Adar, 3750) According to some sources, the day on which Herod dedicates the renovated Holy Temple in Jerusalem. According to Heinrich Graetz, the building project began in 20 BCE, the 18th year of Herod’s reign. A year and half later, (18 BCE) the inner part of the Temple was finished. It took another eight years to build the outer walls, courts and galleries. The dedicatory celebration took place on “the very anniversary of the day when twenty years previously, Herod, with blood stained hands, had made himself master of Jerusalem.”
1147 — (24th of Adar, 4907) The Crusaders massacred the Jews of Wurtzburg
1498 — (4th of Adar-1, 5258) Isaac Abravanel completed «Mashmia’ Yeshu’ah» (Proclaiming Salvation), one of three works “devoted to the exposition of the Jewish belief concerning the Messiah and the Messianic age.”
1569 — (9th of Adar, 5329) Pope Pius V ordered the eviction of all Jews from the Papal States (excluding Rome and Verona) who refuse to convert. Most of the approximately 1000 Jewish families decided to emigrate
1825 (8 Adar I, 5585) – Following a public debate on whether the American state should be purely Christian, the Maryland legislature passed a bill allowing Jews to hold public office and exempting them from taking a Christian oath
1905 (21 Adar I, 5665) – A conference of Jewish student youth was held in Yalta, resolving to organize a city branch of the Jewish Friendly Union. According to the 1897 census, 1,178 Jews lived in the Yalta district, with 1,025 residing in Yalta itself.
1915 (12 Adar I, 5675) – An armed clash occurred between residents of the settlement of Milhamia and the Arab village of Abudia over a harvest. Arabs attempted to harvest crops that did not belong to them. Meeting resistance, they called for help from neighboring fellahin. In turn, youth from Degania, Kinneret, and Yavne’el gathered to assist the settlers. A truce was reached only after one person was killed on each side (on our side – Berl Klei).
1919 (26 Adar I, 5679) – A founding congress in Petah Tikva passed a resolution to establish the Zionist Socialist Federation of Workers in Eretz Israel – Ahdut HaAvoda
1939 — (7th of Adar, 5699) Jews held protest demonstrations in Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, and several of the large kibbutzim this evening. The demonstrations were sparked by credible reports from London that the British government intends to create an independent Arab State in Palestine which will be structured in such a way to ensure that Jewish people will be permanently relegated to “minority status.”; Israel Rokach, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, sent a telegram to Colonial Secretary of Malcolm MacDonald expressing the displeasure of the 150,000 citizens of his city over what is reported to be the British decision to turn Palestine into an Arab State in which Jews will permanently be a minority. He wrote that “establishment of a Jewish National Home in the historic land of our ancestors was accepted by fifty-two nations as a sacred trust” and the Jewish people would never agree to accept this newly created permanent minority status
1941 — (7th of Shevat, 5701) In the Netherlands, the citizens of Utrecht and Zaandam staged strikes protesting Nazi raids on the Jews
1942 — (9th of Adar, 5702) For twelve hours today, between midday and midnight, the Jewish population of Palestine observed a voluntary stoppage of all commercial and business. During this period all persons remained indoors in a self-imposed curfew, as a sign of mourning for the loss of the more than 700 Jews who died when the Struma, sank in the Black Sea north of the Bosporus. The Jewish passengers were trying to escape from Nazi dominated Europe and settle in Palestine, something opposed by the British and the Arabs
1944 — (2th of Adar, 5704) Shooting begins of the Nazi propaganda film, «The Fuhrer Gives a Village to the Jews» in Theresienstadt
1945 (13 Adar I, 5705) – The Jewish Brigade of the British Army completed preparations for deployment to the front. It consisted of three infantry battalions, a field artillery regiment, and auxiliary units. The soldiers wore sleeve patches with the Star of David against the background of the national flag and the inscription in Hebrew and English: «Jewish Fighting Brigade.» It was commanded by Canadian-born Levi Benjamin
1946 — (25th of Adar, 5706) As they searched for those responsible for last night’s attacks on three RAF airfields that destroyed and/or severely damaged 22 aircraft, British troops “seized 5,000 Jews today and imposed a paralyzing night traffic ban throughout Palestine.” The British have already found the body of a dead Jew near one of the airfields. The deceased is assumed to have been one of the attackers
1953 — (11th of Adar, 5713) The Jerusalem Post reported that the fourth anniversary of the liberation of Eilat was celebrated by a military parade attended by President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, and «a show of local achievements.»
1980 — (9th of Adar, 5740) Egypt and Israel exchanged ambassadors for the first time
1973 (24 Adar I, 5733) – Marked «Secret,» the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs submitted a memorandum to the Central Committee of the CPSU titled «On the Departure from the USSR of Persons of Jewish Nationality for Permanent Residence in Israel.» «The largest number in 1972 departed from: the Georgian SSR – 6,614, the Ukrainian SSR – 6,567, the Lithuanian SSR – 2,595, the Latvian SSR – 1,689, the Uzbek SSR – 1,410, and the city of Moscow – 878. As in previous years, permits to depart for Israel were granted to persons not privy to state secrets, without valuable specialties, and who actively expressed nationalist views or adherence to the Jewish religion. Among those who departed in 1972: men – 10,263, women – 11,553, workers primarily in the service sector – 5,406, office workers – 5,218, retirees – 2,490, dependents – 8,663.»
1988 — (8th of Adar, 5748) Settlers from the West Bank demonstrated in Jerusalem today outside the office where Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was meeting with Secretary of State George P. Shultz at the start of a new Middle East peace drive. The demonstrations stood in stark contrast to the expression of other Israelis, notably Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who are willing to consider trading occupied land for peace
1989 (21 Adar I, 5749) – Taba, near Eilat, a favorite vacation spot for Israelis, was returned to Egypt
1991 — (12th of Adar, 5751) The Bank of Israel said today that it would permit foreign companies to issue stocks and bonds on the Tel Aviv stock exchange.
2007 (8 Adar I, 5767) – One of Israel’s most famous landmarks, the «101st Kilometer» roadside complex located in the Arava Desert on the road to Eilat, burned down. The fire started in the southern part of the complex, largely constructed of large logs. It housed the largest collection of reptiles in the Middle East, including a world-famous two-headed snake, as well as other animals.
2023 (5 Addar I, 5783) – Near Nablus in Samaria, Arabs opened fire on a car with Israeli license plates. Brothers Hillel Menachem Yaniv and Yagel Yaakov Yaniv from the settlement of Har Bracha were killed. In response, that evening settlers carried out attacks in Huwara, Burin, Asira al-Qibliya, and Zatara.
2024 (17 Adar I, 5784) – The Gaza War. Day one hundred forty-three. Main operations took place in the Khan Yunis area. A tunnel system approximately 10 km long, connecting the northern and central parts of the Gaza Strip, was discovered
People
1809 (10 Adar I, 5569) – Born: Rosanna Dyer Osterman – one of the notable philanthropists of Texas. An active member of the state’s Jewish community. During the American Civil War, she served as a nurse in a Galveston hospital. Thanks to her information, Confederate forces recaptured the city from federal troops on January 1, 1863. Died February 2, 1866.
1829 (23 Adar I, 5589) – Born: Levi Strauss – the creator of jeans. Died September 26, 1902.
1903 (29 Shevat, 5663) – Born: Charles Orde Wingate – one of the founders of the Israel Defense Forces. Died March 25, 1944.
1914 (30 Shevat, 5674) – Born: Albert Lvovich Mirles – one of the organizers of the «Normandie-Niemen» squadron. Died April 12, 1999.
1928 (5 Adar I, 5688) – Born: Ariel Sharon. Died January 11, 2014.
1969 (8 Adar I, 5729) – Prime Minister of Israel Levi Eshkol died of a heart attack