History events
117 — (12th of Adar, 3877) As the rebellion by Disapora Jews against the Roman Empire of Trajan came to an unsuccessful close, two Jewish brothers who had been leaders in the revolt, Pappus and Julianus were executed at Laodicea in Syria. Trajan did not get to savor his victory since he died in 117. Unfortunately for the Jews he was followed by Hadrian who was even crueler than his predecessor
1349 — (11th of Adar-1, 5109) In Erfurt, the capital of the German state of Thuringia, 1,000 Jews were killed in a single day of violence in a pogrom brought on by hysteria surrounding The Black Death which struck Europe
1382 — (16th of Adar, 5142) The Mailotin Riots began in Paris. These riots were similar to the tax riots held two years previously. Both times the Jews were considered accomplices in over-oppressive taxes. Sixteen Jews fell victim to this outbreak violence
1796 — (22th of Adar, 5556) Rabbi Mordecai of Niesvizh, issued a proclamation, which was approved by other rabbis in Poland, addressed to all Jews of Poland, imploring every male and female, adult and minor, whether living in cities or villages, to subscribe a fixed sum every week for the support of their countrymen, who had settled in the Holy Land with the amount to be paid quarterly, in addition to special donations at weddings, circumcisions, and other religious rejoicings all of which resulted in a substantial increase in the halukkah (the fund to support Jews living in the Holy Land)
1848 — (27th of Adar-1, 5608) Ibrahim Pasha who issued a decree “forbidding the Jews to pave the passage in front of the Wall. It also cautioned them against “raising their voices and displaying their books there.” They were however allowed “to pay visits to it as of old”
1915 — (16th of Adar, 5675) Vladmir Jabotinsky formed a Jewish military force to fight in Palestine against the Turks in World War I.
1940 — (22th of Adar-1, 5700) The police imposed curfew regulations at Tel Aviv tonight after breaking up widespread demonstrations protesting against British restrictions on the sale of Arab lands to Jews
1942 — (13th of Adar, 5702) As Purim began, Jews from Minsk refused to cooperate in latest deportation. Germans and Ukrainians retaliated by searching houses, dragging children to sand pits and throwing them in alive, throwing candies in after them as they died. By the end of Purim 5,000 Jews were murdered in Minsk. Jews all over Europe were tortured, murdered or deported that day included those from Krosniewice, Baranowicze, Lvov and Zdunska Wola; At Janowska, eight laborers were ordered to stand in a barrel of water by Gestapo chief Dibauer, because «they didn’t look too clean.» They all froze to death by the next day as the ice hardened around their feet
1943 — ((16th of Adar-1, 5703) Over 2,500 Jews in Salonica are crammed into 593 rooms in the Baron de Hirsh Ghetto. The ghetto was surrounded with high wooden fences, topped with barbed wire. Signs in German, Greek and Ladino warned Jews not to leave, under penalty of death
1945 — (17th of Adar, 5705) Haaretz published the following description of kidnapping Yaakov Tavin during the “Hunting Season.” “Passersby in Dizengoff and Yirmiyahu streets were greatly struck…by the kidnapping of a young man in the street. The kidnapping occurred at 11 a.m. and was witnessed by a large number of people. A large taxi halted at the corner of Dizengoff and Yirmiyahu streets, and several men emerged, one of them dressed in police uniform. They approached the young man, who was standing on the pavement holding a package. Shouting ‘Thief!’, they attacked him and began to hit him. The crowd thought that he was in fact a thief, and several of them joined the attackers and helped them to push the young man into the taxi. He struggled with them and shouted in Yiddish and in Hebrew: ‘Jews, help me! Why do you let them hit a Jew?’ He was thrown into the car, which swiftly drove away
1947 — (10th of Adar, 5707) In Tel Aviv, a radio announcement by the Irgun was heard in which the Jewish organization took responsibility for yesterday’s attack on a British officers’ club in Jerusalem yesterday. The Irgun said the attack was in retaliation for British attacks in Haifa on Friday, February 28. In response to the latest wave of violence, the British imposed martial law throughout Palestine. At 4 A.M. British troops occupied Petah Tikav Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv as well as other coastal communities while the government in Jerusalem imposed additional restrictions on Mea Sharim.
1950 — (13th of Adar, 5710) Israel Railways began regular passenger service today from Tel Aviv North Railway Station, via the Eastern Railway and Rosh HaAyin, to Jerusalem; A bill was introduced in the Iraqi parliament allowing the Jews of Iraq to immigrate to Israel. Introduction of the bill required a large cash payment by the Israeli representatives. The “Jews could leave provided they left behind all gold, jewelry and valuables and provided that they also gave up their Iraqi citizenship.”
2002 — (18th of Adar, 5762) Eleven Israelis were killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox neighborhood
2011 — (26th of Adar-1, 5771) Pope Benedict XVI reiterated that the Jewish people are not responsible for Jesus’ death in a new book released today
People
1336 — (10th of Adar I, 5096) Physician and astronomer Joseph Sason, a member of a prominent Iberian Jewish family passed away today in Toledo
1640 — (20th of Adar) Rabbi Joel Sirkes, author of Bayit Hadash passed away today
1859 — (N.S) (26th of Adar-1, 5619) In Russia, Menachem-Nukhem Rabinovich, a “rich merchant” who lost it all and his wife Chaye-Esther gave birth to Solomon Rabinowitz who became famous under the penname of Sholem Aleichem ( (Editor’s note: As with many Russians of his periods, Sholom Aleichim has two birthdates on the secular calendar – one on the Julian calendar and one on the Gregorian calendar.)
1893 — (14th of Adar, 5653) Birthdate of Eliyahu Golomb the native of Russia who made Aliyah in 1909 and organized the Haganah during the Mandate
1938 — (29th of Adar-1, 5698) The Palestine Post reported that An Emek settler, Abraham Goldschlager, 38, was murdered by Arab terrorists near Mishmar Ha¹emek. Tirat Zvi came under heavy Arab fire
1951 — (24th of Adar I, 5711) Yakov Gilyarievich Etinger, “one of the physicians accused in the ‘Doctor’s Plot’” died today in prisons as result of the brutal interrogations he was forced to endure
1980 — (14th of Adar, 5740) Yigal Allon’s funeral took place today at Kibbutz Ginosar on the shore of Lake Kinneret which had been his home for almost fifty years
2010 — (16th of Adar, 5770) Amos Oz said today that the Khoury family of East Jerusalem had funded the translation of A Tale of Love and Darkness, his best-selling autobiography to promote coexistence