History events
1415 — (2th of Sivan, 5175) Today, in the hope of mass-conversions, Benedict issued a bull consisting of twelve articles, which, in the main, corresponded with the decree («Pragmática») issued by Catalina, and which had been placed on the statutes of Aragon by Fernando. By this bull Jews and neophytes were forbidden to study the Talmud, to read anti-Catholic writings, in particular the work «Macellum» («Mar Jesu»), to pronounce the names of Jesus, Maria, or the saints, to manufacture communion-cups or other church vessels or accept such as pledges, or to build new synagogues or ornament old ones. Each community might have only one synagogue. Jews were denied all rights of selfjurisdiction, nor might they proceed against «malsines» (accusers). They might hold no public offices, nor might they follow any handicrafts, or act as brokers, matrimonial agents, physicians, apothecaries, or druggists. They were forbidden to bake or sell matzot, or to give them away; neither might they dispose of meat which they were prohibited from eating. They might have no intercourse (sex) with Catholics, nor might they disinherit their baptized children. They should wear the badge at all times, and thrice a year all Jews over twelve, of both sexes, were required to listen to a Catholic sermon
1903 — (14th of Iyar, 5563) The El-Arish project fails. Herzl writes in his diary: «I thought the Sinai plan was such a sure thing that I no longer wanted to buy a family vault in the Döbling cemetery, where my father is provisionally laid to rest. Now I consider the affair so wrecked that I have already been to the district court and am acquiring vault No. 28.»
1942 — (24th of Iyar, 5702) The Biltmore Program is adopted in an emergency meeting (at the Biltmore Hotel in New York) of the Conference of American Zionists. The program proposed by Ben Gurion and Abba Hillel Silver totally rejected the British White paper and called for the establishment of a Jewish state. There was opposition to the proposal by the «non- Zionists» and those who believed in a bi-national state (HaShomer HaZair)
1948 — (2th of Iyar, 5708) Haganah took control of the port of Haifa
1949 — (12th of Iyar, 5709) Israel is admitted as the 59th member of the U.N.
1953 — (26th of Iyar, 5713) The Jerusalem Post reported The Israeli Cabinet decided to impose a «special unemployment relief tax» after the number of jobless reached 16,000. The Jerusalem Labor Exchange which had been closed for a week, following an attack by a mob of unemployed, reopened and offered forestation jobs to 30 workers. Over 550 workers were already employed in forestation projects carried out by Keren Kayemet
1955 — (19th of Iyar, 5715) Israel attacked Gaza. In 1955, Gaza was under control of Egypt. It was a base for fedayeen (from Israel’s point of view, terrorists) who would cross into Israel planting roadside bombs and shooting up passing vehicles. Israel’s move into Gaza was temporary, lasting only long enough to destroy the bases from which these people operated. David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, was always adamant that Israel should never want to hold on to Gaza
1960 — (14th of Iyar, 5720) Adolf Eichmann, charged with the implementation of the «final solution», was captured in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1969 — (29th of Iyar, 5729) Singapore officially recognized the State of Israel and diplomatic relations were established between the two countries
1975 — (1th of Sivan, 5735) Israel signed an agreement with European Economic Market. This helped the Israelis to increase their involvement in what was then a new and burgeoning market for its products including fresh flowers and fresh produce; Saboteurs derailed a freight train near Jerusalem
1976 — (11th of Iyar, 5736) Three people were injured when terrorist set off a bomb in a Tel Aviv movie theatre
1998 — (15th of Iyar, 5758) In his column for the Weekly Standard, Charles Krauthammer wrote: «Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice cream at the corner candy store.»
People
1572 — (18th of Iyar, 5332) Moses Isserles, “the Rema” passed away today in Cracow, Poland. Moses Isserles, also spelled Moshe Isserlis, who had been born at Cracow in 1520, “was an eminent Ashkenazic rabbi, Talmudist, and posek, renowned for his fundamental work of Halachah (entitled ha-Mapah (lit., «the tablecloth»), an inline commentary on the Shulkhan Aruch ( «the set table»)
1810 — (7th of Iyar, 5570) Abraham Geiger, Jewish scholar and theologian, born
1814 — (21th of Iyar, 5574) Birthdate of Wolf Pascheles, the native of Prague who went from selling Jewish books to printing them in a publishing house that he began, and which produced everything from prayer books for women to popular annotated calendars
2006 — (13th of Iyar, 5766) Writer, actor and singer Yossi Banai, one of Israel’s most beloved and admired artists passed away at the age of 74 after a serious illness