History events
-2348 — (20th of Kislev, 1413) According to Archbishop James Ussher’s Old Testament chronology, the Great Deluge («Noah’s Flood») began on this date
1489 — (1th of Tevet, 5250) A work popularly referred to as “Abudarham’s Siddur” was published for the first time in Lisbon. ….. Actually the book was untitled by its author David Abudarham, a Jewish scholar who lived in Seville (Spain) in the first part of the 14th century. He modestly referred to his work as “Ḥibbur Perush ha-Berakot we-ha-Tefillot.» In fact it was a commentary on the various prayers tracing their origins and providing information about their liturgical significance. This volume proved to be so popular that it went through nine editions the last of which appeared in Warsaw in the middle of the 19th century. The printer was Eliezer Alantansi who used a lion rampant on a shield as his printer’s mark
1622 — (2th of Tevet, 5383) Christian IV, King of Denmark, addressed a letter to the Jewish Council of Amsterdam asking them to encourage some of their members to settle in his state. He promised them freedom of worship and other favorable privileges
1761 — (28th of Cheshvan, 55522) The first Jewish social and civic club in North America was founded in Newport, RI
1931 — (15th of Kislev, 5692) According to figures released by the census authorities, ….. of the 1,035,154 inhabitants of Palestine, 387,525 live in Palestine’s major cities including 90,526 in Jerusalem, 51,876 in Jaffa, 46,109 in Tel Aviv and 50,869 for Haifa. “There is an almost equal number of men an women in nearly all the urban localities, the total being 197,307 males and 190,218 females.” Since the last census conducted in 1922, “purely Arab areas showed less than a 1 per cent increase in population…while the mixed Arab-Jewish residential localities showed a 30 per cent rise indicating a higher measure of prosperity during the past decade.”
1940 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5701) The Patria, a steamer carrying illegal Jewish immigrants sank in Haifa port killing 250 of the passengers. ….. The Patria was a French steamer chartered by the British to ship illegal immigrants who had previously made it to Palestine to detainment camps on the British island of Mauritius. This removal of the Jewish immigrants was part of a British campaign to placate the Arabs. The plan was in violation of the terms of the Mandate. The plant was also a violation of basic human decency since the Jews were seeking a safe haven from the advancing Nazi armies. However, nobody has ever accused the British Foreign office or the Arab leaders of that time of having an overabundance of human decency when it came to dealing with Jews. The explosion on board the Patria was caused by the Haganah who were attempting to disable the ship and force the British to let the refugees land. Almost two thousand of the Patria’s human cargo would end up staying in Eretz Israel while another similar number would end up in internment camps. This was but one small event in the combined British-Arab attempt to strangle the Yishuv
1942 — (16th of Kislev, 5703) In the evening and continuing into the next day, the SS and Norway’s State Police began rounding up all woman and children. In all, 532 Jewish women and children in Norway are arrested and deported to Auschwitz. Although more than 700 Norwegian Jews were eventually sent to Auschwitz, about 930 found refuge in Sweden
1945 — (20th of Kislev, 5706) Jewish underground attacks Palestinian coast guard; blows up two coast guard stations in retaliation for capture of Greek schooner Demetrios which brought 200 illegal immigrants to Palestine
1949 — (4th of Kislev, 5710) Israel turns down the UN Palestine Conciliation Committee’s plan for an international Jerusalem. ….. Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett says Jews favored UN control of Jerusalem at one time. They oppose it now, because if they lose Jerusalem they will have to rescue it from Arabs. They recommend that Jerusalem’s old city be internationalized. Modern Jerusalem’s holy places will be accessible to people of all
1961 — (17th of Kislev, 5722) Negotiations between representatives of the Israeli government and King Hassan of Morocco came to an end with an understanding that would make it easier for the Jews to leave for Israel
1987 — (4th of Kislev, 5748) Terrorist who “flew” into Israel aboard hang gliders from Lebanon killed 6 Israeli soldiers and wounded six others
1990 — (8th of Kislev, 5751) Four Israelis were killed and 26 more were wounded by an Egyptian crossing the border
People
1624 — (24th of Kislev, 5385) Joseph Shalom de Shalom, “the neo-Hebraic poet and the chazan of the first synagogue erected in Amsterdam passed away today in Palestine
1873 — (5th of Kislev, 5634) Birthdate of Russian born Israeli engineer and businessman Moshe Novomeysky who was an early developer of the Palestine Potash Company
1897 — (30th of Cheshvan, 5658) Emile Zola addressed a letter to Le Figaro that might have been called “The Injustice of French Justice” since the author “intimated that he believed Dreyfus was innocent” and that he had the proof for this belief. The letter ended “The truth is on the way; nothing can stop it.”
1969 — (15th of Kislev, 5730) Birthdate of Israeli actress and comedian Orna Banai