March 24

History events
1564 — (11rd of Nisan, 5324) The index of Pius IV. of Trent, which appeared today permitted the Jews to use Hebrew and even Talmudic books, provided they were printed without the word «Talmud,» and were purged from vituperations against the Christian religion
1656 — (9rd of Nisan, 5416) A group of Marrano merchants “presented a petition to Cromwell asking for his protection and for his permission in writing to meet for private Jewish worship their houses without fear of molestation.” After the outbreak of war between England and Spain, Jews living in England petitioned Cromwell to stay insisting that they were not Spaniards but rather Marranos. Although Cromwell chose not to officially reply to today’s request, he permitted the community to establish a Jewish Cemetery, and for protection during prayers. His unwritten agreement was conditioned on there being no public Jewish worship. This is considered by many to mark the official end of the expulsion of the Jews from England
1921 — (14th of Adar II, 5681) The Chief Rabbinate of Palestine was established under the British Mandate. The first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Palestine was the scholar and sage, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook was one of the leading intellectual and religious leaders during the Yishuv period
1939 — (4rd of Nisan, 5699) In response to “Britain’s threat stop land purchases by Jews in Palestine,” “Hadassah…contributed $25,000 today to the Jewish National Fund ‘to assure the immediate purchase of land areas now held under option in the Jewish National Home.’”
1944 — (29th of Adar, 5704) Two British constables were killed in Tel Aviv and three others were killed in Haifa when a bomb exploded at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Haifa. These and other attacks conducted tonight were believed to be the work of the Stern Gang and were condemned by The Tel Aviv Municipal Council and the Federation of Jewish Labor
1955 — (1st of Nisan, 5715) Terrorists threw hand grenades and opened fire on a crowd at a wedding in the farming community of Patish, in the Negev, killing a young woman and wounding 18 others

People
1244 — (18th of Nisan) Rabbi Meir Abulafya Ha-Levi (Ramah) an opponent of Maimonides and author of Yad Ramah passed away today
1488 — (13th of Nisan) Rabbi Obadiah Bertinoro, author of a popular Mishnah commentary arrived in Jerusalem (Obadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro (c. 1445 – c. 1515), commonly known as «The Bartenura», was a 15th-century Italian rabbi best known for his popular commentary on the Mishnah. In his later years, he rejuvenated the Jewish community of Jerusalem and became recognised as the spiritual leader of the Jews of his generation)
1575 — (3rd of Nisan, 5335) Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch, passed away today at Safed
1648 — (27th of Adar, 5408) Seventy-six year old Leon of Modena a Jewish scholar, died at Venice
1743 — (28th of Adar) Rabbi Raphael Immanuel Ricchi author of Mishnat Hasidim passed away
1795 — (4th of Nisan, 5555) Birthdate of Zvi (Zwi) Hirsch Kalischer “an Orthodox rabbi and one of Zionism’s early pioneers in Germany.” . Born in the Polish town of Lissa that had just become part of Germany, Kalisher was unique because he was an Orthodox Rabbi who believed that Jews develop a practical program for returning to Eretz Israel instead of just waiting for the coming of the Messiah. In 1860, he published Derishat Tziyyon , his blueprint for the return to the Holy Land. Almost forty years before the advent of Herzl and Zionism he called for a systematic purchase of land, the development of agriculture, the development of a self-defense force and the need to develop viable businesses to replace the charitable institutions that traditionally supported the Jews in Palestine. The Reform opposed Kalisher because of the nationalist content of the proposal. The Orthodox saw it as a form of blasphemy. One of the practical results of his work was the establishment of Mikveh Israel, a school located near Jaffa, designed to teach the new generation of pioneers the scientific agricultural skills that would enable them to reclaim the land
1897 — (20th of Adar II, 5657) Birthdate of Wilhelm Reich. He was a Jewish-Austrian psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and author, who was trained in Vienna by Sigmund Freud. He passed away in 1957