History events
-1312 BCE (23 Adar 2449) — Moses erected the Tabernacle for the first time, vested Aaron and his sons in the priestly garments, and anointed them with oil to consecrate them as ministers of the Sanctuary
1831 — (25th of Shevat, 5591) Louis Philippe of France, successor to Charles X, ratified a motion putting Judaism on a par with Christianity, granting State support to Synagogues and their Minister of Religion. This meant that France extended financial support to Jewish religious institutions on par with Christian institutions
1936 — (15th of Shevat, 5696) A national conference on Palestine at Washington D. C’s Willard Hotel which “is intended to formulate a comprehensive program to link the efforts of the Jews of” the United States “and of Europe in providing for the transportation” German, Polish and other European Jews to Palestine opened today
1940 — (29th of Shevat, 5700) The first ghetto was set up by the Nazis in Lodz. The idea was to bring in all Jews from the surrounding areas in order to make it easier to proceed with the «Final Solution.» By the first of May, 160,000 Jews would have been herded into the Ghetto
1943 (3 Adar I 5703) — Holocaust: The liquidation of the Slutsk Ghetto began. It lasted for two days
1944 (14 Shevat 5704) — Holocaust: On this date, a letter from Nikolai Shvernik, Chairman of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes, to Vyacheslav Molotov, Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of People’s Commissars, is recorded. It stated: «I am sending you the draft statement of the Extraordinary State Commission on the destruction and atrocities committed by the German-fascist invaders in the city of Kiev… ‘The Hitlerite bandits carried out a massive and brutal extermination of the Jewish population. They posted a notice ordering all Jews to appear on September 29, 1941, at the corner of Melnikova and Dokterevskaya streets, bringing with them documents, money, and valuables. The executioners drove the assembled Jews to Babyn Yar, took all their valuables, and then shot them.'» Molotov edited the text to read: «‘The Hitlerite bandits drove thousands of peaceful Soviet citizens on September 29, 1941, to the corner of Melnikova and Dokterevskaya streets. The executioners led those gathered to Babyn Yar, took all their valuables, and then shot them.'»
1949 — (9th of Shevat, 5709) Formation of Shabak or Shin Bet, the Israel security service
1949 — (9 Shevat 5709) In the USSR, associations of Jewish writers in Moscow, Kyiv, and Minsk were dissolved, and the literary almanacs Heimland (Moscow) and Der Shtern (Kyiv) were shut down. This was a decision of the Politburo, prepared by Alexander Fadeyev and approved by Stalin
1967 — (28 Shevat 5727) By a decision of the Soviet authorities, the quota for Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel was increased to 5,000 people per year (previously it had been 1,500)
1970 — (2th of Adar-1, 5730) “Israeli fighters shot down two Egyptian MIG-21s in an aerial dogfight over the Nile delta this morning” during “a 50-minute raid on Egyptian artillery emplacement and bunkers in the souther sector of the Suez Canal zone.” (JTA)
2001 — (15 Shevat 5761) Terror Attack: Two explosions rocked the Beit Yisrael street near a yeshiva building in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem. 11 people were lightly wounded.
2002 — (26 Shevat 5762) Terror Attack: M. Yamit, who was walking in one of Jerusalem’s parks with her boyfriend, was stabbed to death by attacking Arabs
2016 — (29th of Shevat, 5766) An unidentified Arab stabbed and wounded an eleven year old boy in Ramle today
2024 — (29 Shevat 5784) Gaza War: Day one hundred and twenty-five. Fighting continued in the central, southern, and northern parts of the Gaza Strip.
2025 — (10 Shevat 5785) As a result of a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza, hostages Ohad Ben-Ami, Or Levy, and Eli Sharabi were released. In exchange, Israel released 183 terrorists from prisons, including 30 murderers
2026 — (21 Shvat 5786) The government decided to transfer law enforcement authority in Areas A and B to the Civil Administration. This means that for the first time since the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority is losing some of the powers it had previously ceded.
2026 — (21 Shvat 5786) The first stage of a reform for minor traffic violations took effect in Israel: they will now be handled administratively rather than criminally
People
1663 — (11th of Adar-1, 5423) Shabbethai Cohen (Shach), died
1833 — (19 Shevat 5593): Horace Günzburg was born – a prominent public figure and philanthropist. He died in 1909.
1872 — Theodor Lessing was born in Hanover – a philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, author of over 2000 articles, books, and pamphlets, and one of the founders of the Hanover Volkshochschule (People’s University). He was shot and killed by a Nazi at his home in 1933
1878 — (5 Adar I 5638) Martin Buber was born – a scholar, philosopher, religious thinker, and theorist of Zionism. He died on June 13, 1965
1882 — (25th of Shevat, 5591) Berthold Auerbach, German novelist, died
1922 — Yuri L. Averbakh was born – a chess grandmaster, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in chess, and author of the study Chess Endings. He died on May 7, 2022.
1923 — (22 Shevat 5683): Albert Einstein, while on a journey through Palestine, became the first honorary citizen of Tel Aviv.
2011 — (4 Adar I 5771): During a patrol along the security fence, a jeep carrying Border Police officers overturned. Senior Sergeant Shimon Barami, a resident of Moshav Zoar, was killed