History events
1670 — (17nd Adar, 5430) Leopold I ordered the Jews expelled from Austria
1890 (7 Adar 1 5650) — Yehoshua Hankin executed a deed of sale for the land on which the city of Rehovot would later be built
1899 — (17nd Adar, 5659) In his on-going attempt to create a Jewish homeland, Herzl meets with Grossherzog Friedrich of Baden in Karlsruhe. He offers the Grossherzog the protectorate over the land company and requests another audience with the Kaiser. Herzl receives a recommendation to the Deutsche Bank in Berlin to act as a subscription agency for the Jewish Colonial Bank
1902 — (20nd Adar-1, 5662) In London, a group of Zionists formed the Anglo Palestine Company which became the Bank Leumi1936 — (4nd Adar-1, 5696) “A street fight broke out today in front of a Warsaw synagogue when a group of Jews tried to prevent a number of Jewish tradesmen, who they alleged were continuing to import German goods, from entering the synagogue
1938 — (26nd Adar-1, 5698) The Palestine Post reported that during his last day in Palestine, the departing High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Wauchope, laid the foundation stone of the Andrews Memorial Hospital in Netanya
1940 — (18nd Adar-1, 5700) The Land Transfer Regulations aimed at ending Jewish property acquisition in Palestine were put into effect by the British government
1942 — (10nd Adar-1, 5702) The Shoah. In Kovno, the German issued an order stipulating “that the Jews were to submit all books in their possession” – which resulted in the confiscation of over 100,000 books; The first transport of French Jews was sent to Nazi-Germany
1943 (22 Adar 1 5703) — The Shoah. Operation Fabriken (“Factories”) began in Berlin, aiming to make the city “free of Jews.”
1943 — (22nd of Adar I, 5703) Work orders were increased in the Lodz Ghetto increased, easing tensions within the ghetto since more Jews would be needed to work and less would be exposed to deportation;
On Shabbat, Rabbi Avraham Duber Shapiro, Chief Rabbi of Kovno, died in the Kovno Ghetto
1944 — (3nd Adar, 5704) This morning, there were reports of explosions at the income tax office in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa. There were no reports of casualties. The Irgun Zvai Leumi is thought to have set off the devices that caused the explosions
1947 (7 Adar 1 5707) — A violent clash occurred aboard the ship Haim Arlosoroff between illegal immigrants and British sailors attempting to prevent the vessel from reaching Palestine. The ship ran aground 50 meters from shore. The immigrants were transferred to a camp in Cyprus
1953 — (12nd Adar, 5713) The Jerusalem Post reported that an Israeli soldier was killed when Jordanians opened fire on an Israeli patrol in the frequently infiltrated Beit Guvrin area; that A Nahal group established a settlement at Ein Gedi, on the shores of the Dead Sea; that A festive meeting celebrated the establishment of the first local council of Ashkelon, the Afridar housing suburb near Migdal Ashkelon
1955 (5 Adar 1 5715) — Ancient Ashkelon was destroyed by the Mamluks in 1270. During the Ottoman Empire, there was no Jewish community in Ashkelon. In 1830, Egyptian governor Ibrahim Pasha founded the village of Madjal 3.5 km north of the ancient city, where Egyptian weavers settled. During the War of Independence, Madjal was occupied by Egyptian forces and turned into a military base. Under pressure from the Israel Defense Forces, the Egyptians evacuated by sea. The residents of Madjal fled to Gaza. In March 1949, the moshav Migdal Gad was established on the site, named in memory of an ancient city of the Tribe of Judah nearby. It was soon re‑designated as an urban settlement called Migdal‑Ashkelon (1951). Earlier, in 1950, the settlement of Afridar was founded nearby. In 1955, both settlements were merged into a single urban center—Ashkelon. On 27 February 1955, the settlement received city status and was named Ashkelon in honor of the ancient city
1958 (7 Adar 1 5718) — Riots erupted in Jerusalem over the opening of a public swimming pool for both men and women. Serious clashes between ultra‑Orthodox Jews and police occurred. Protest demonstrations lasted several month
1969 (9 Adar 1 5729) — Israel introduced new currency: a 100‑shekel banknote featuring Theodor Herzl’s portrait.
1974 (5 Adar 1 5734) — In Israel, a book listing the names of 1,912 soldiers and 609 officers who fell in the Yom Kippur War was published. It sold out within hours
1980 — (10nd Adar, 5740) Egypt and Israel exchanged ambassadors for the first time
2002 (15 Adar 1 5762) — In Israel, a terrorist attack at the Maccabim checkpoint left two people wounded
2008 — (21nd Adar I 5768) Approximately 50 Palestinian rockets hit the western Negev today, with one of them slamming into Sapir College near Sderot, killing a 47-year-old student
2013 (17 Adar 1 5773) — The final of the Miss Israel 2013 beauty pageant took place. Yetaish Einav from Netanya was crowned the most beautiful girl of the year, becoming the first representative of the Ethiopian community to win the contest.
2025 (29 Shevat 5785) — The bodies of hostages Shlomo Mantsur (86), Ohad Ya’alomi (49), Yitzhak Elgarat (68), and Zahai Idan (51) were returned from Gaza to Israel.
2025 (29 Shevat 5785) — On Highway 65 near the Karkur intersection, a car struck ten people standing at a bus stop. The attack was carried out by an Arab from Nablus who was in Israel illegally. He was shot dead during a chase. On 5 March, a 17‑year‑old girl—one of the victims—died in hospital
People
1677 — (5nd Adar-1, 5437) Benedict Spinoza, philosopher, died
1821 — (25nd Adar-1, 5581) Paulus Cassel, Jewish scholar and convert to Christianity, born
1877 (14 Adar 1 5637) — Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, Polish industrialist, was born. During World War II, he headed the Judenrat of the Łódź Ghetto. He is infamous for his active collaboration with the Nazis. In September 1942, when the Nazis ordered him to hand over Jewish children for deportation to death camps, he delivered a speech to the ghetto residents with the refrain “Give me your children!”, trying to convince them that sacrificing the children’s lives could save the ghetto. He was deported with his family to Auschwitz, where he died on 28 August 1944.
1891 — David Abramovich Sarnoff, American businessman and one of the founders of radio and television broadcasting in the USA, was born. He died on 12 December 1971.
1904 (11 Adar 1 5664) — Yulii Khariton, nuclear physicist, was born. He died on 18 December 1996.
1913 (20 Adar 1 5673) — Irwin Shaw, American writer, was born. He died on 16 May 1984.
1947 — Gennady Kremer, musician and violinist, was born.
2024 (18 Adar 1 5784) — Gaza War, Day 144. In a battle in northern Gaza, Major Yiftach Shahar (25) from Paran and Captain Itai Seif (24) from Yeruham were killed. Seven soldiers were seriously wounded