History events
1144 — (16th of Nisan, 4904) This date marks the first ritual murder libel which took place in in Norwich, England. It set the pattern for subsequent accusations that would be made into the 20th century all across Europe. A 12-year-old boy, William, was found dead on Easter Eve, and the Jews were accused of killing him in a mock crucifixion. They were not, however, accused of using his blood for the making of matzos, although this would become a standard feature of later libels. It was later presumed by scholars that the boy died during a cataleptic fit or else he was killed by a sexual pervert. After Easter, a synod convened and summoned the Jews to the Church court. The Jews refused on the grounds that only the king had jurisdiction over them and they feared that they would be subjected to «trial by ordeal.» William was regarded as a martyred saint and a shrine was erected in his memory. In spite of this episode, there was no immediate violence against the Jews. Over the years, despite denunciations by various popes, ritual murder libels continued. Possession of a saint’s shrine bestowed great economic benefits on a town because sacred relics drew pilgrims who spent money on offerings, board, and lodging. For bones to be considered sacred relics they had to be killed by a heretic (i.e. a Jew). Such charges were used as an excuse to murder Jews as late as 1900
1349 — (2th of Nisan, 5109) The townspeople of Fulda Germany massacred the Jews because they blamed them for the Black Death
1369 — (13th of Nisan, 5129) In France, Charles V sought to force Jews to attend church services by issuing an order that included a penalty for defiance. Unless they complied «the Jews might suffer great bodily harm»
1503 — (24th of Adar-II, 5263) Jews permitted to return to Lithuania
1510 — (11th of Nisan, 5270) The Jews were expelled from Colmar Germany. Jews had been living in this town in Upper Alsac for at least three centuries prior to their expulsion for which no reason is given.
1564 — (9th of Nisan, 5324) In Mantua, Italy, David Provensalo and his son Abraham asked the Jewish notables to help him create a Jewish College. The idea was to allow Jews to learn languages and science while also receiving a “Jewish education.” Although they did establish a Talmudic academy they were opposed by the local Church and did not succeed in opening the College
1864 — (14th of Adar-II, 5624) In Albany, NY, the Assembly passed a bill “authorizing the New-York City authorities to convey to the Hebrew Benevolent Society certain real estate.”
1874 — (4th of Nisan, 5634) The Young Men’s Hebrew Association was founded in New York City. It was the first of several such organizations found in cities across the United States intended to provide for the “mental, moral, social, and physical improvement of Jewish young men.”
1893 — (5th of Nisan, 5653) Arabs attack Jews at Rehovot. In March 1892, a dispute over pasture rights erupted between the residents of Rehovot and the neighboring village of Zarnuqa, which took two years to resolve. Another dispute broke out with the Suteriya Bedouin tribe, which had been cultivating some of the land as tenant farmers. According to Moshe Smilansky, one of the early settlers of Rehovot, the Bedouins had received compensation for the land, but refused to vacate it. In 1893, they attacked the moshava. Through the intervention of a respected Arab sheikh, a compromise was reached, with the Bedouins receiving an additional sum of money, which they used to dig a well
1899 — (11th of Nisan, 5659) The “liberal synagogue” was dedicated in Cologne
1937 — (10th of Nisan, 5697) The Palestine Post reported that Two cooperative groups settled on the Jewish National Fund land, allocated by the Arlosoroff Memorial Fund in the Jordan Valley. Important archaeological finds were discovered near Afula
1943 — (15th of Adar-II, 5703) The first group of Macedonian Jews were shipped from Skopje to Treblinka
1946 — (19th of Adar-II, 5706) Gotthil Wagner was killed by as yet unidentified gunmen today outside of Tel Aviv: “Gotthilf Wagner, former mayor of the German colony of Sarona, near Tel Aviv,” a pre-war S.S. Group Leader “and one of the leading Palestine Nazis, was today shot to death as he journeyed from Sarona to Wilhelma, another German community.”
1947 — (1th of Nisan, 5707) “Hagannah posted pamphlets in Tel Avi” today “accusing the Irgun…of being deserters from the Zionist struggle and of wasting their efforts in murder while Haganah strove to rescue Jews from Europe. As the principal organizer of illegal immigration Haganah charged the Irgun with neglecting that primary function.”
1948 — (11th of Adar-II, 5708) “Twenty Jews…were reported killed today in two battles at Nitzanim, near the Mediterranian coast in the land of the ancient Philistines.”
1950 — (4th of Nisan, 5710) According to New York Times correspondent C.L. Sulzberger, the future of Israel depends on its ability to make peace with the surrounding Arab nations and developing normal commercial relations with them while receiving continued political support from the the United Kingdom and the United States and getting additional American aid so that it can meet is “grandiose economic development plans
1951 — (14th of Adar-II, 5711) “The Government of Israel asked the United States today for $150,000,000 in grant-in-aid for the period of July 1, 1951, to June 30, 1952, Abba S. Eban, Israel’s Ambassador to Washington announced
1952 — (25th of Adar, 5712) “Scores of limbless or blind persons took part in a demonstration” in Tel Aviv tonight where “survivors of the Nazi persecution” protested “against the reparations talks with West Germany” that started in the Hague yesterday
1957 — (19th of Adar-II, 5717) Israeli forces withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of the peace process following the Suez Crisis of 1956
1979 — (23th of Adar, 5739) The Israeli Parliament approved the peace treaty with Egypt
2004 — (29th of Adar, 5764) Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of Hamas, and his bodyguards are killed in the Gaza Strip when hit by Israeli Air Force AH-64 Apache fired Hellfire missiles
2011 — (16th of Adar-II, 5771) Moshe Katsav was sentenced to seven years in prison and two years’ probation for rape, indecent acts, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, becoming the first former President of Israel to be sentenced to prison. In addition, he was ordered to pay one of the women compensation totaling 100,000 NIS and another a sum of 25,000 NIS
2017 — (24th of Adar, 5777) Today “Yahya Sinwar said Hamas would not allow the State of Israel to exist on even a “morsel” of land.”
People
1833 — (2th of Nisan, 5593) Michael Beer, German poet, died
1923 — (5th of Nisan, 5683) Max Nordau, early Zionist leader, passed away at the age of 73