History events
1462 — Jews were expelled from Mainz, Germany.
1486 — Obadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro, who had served as the rabbi in Bertinoro and Castello, left Italy and began the journey that would lead him to Jerusalem two years later. He was a student of Joseph Colon Trabotto and authored a commentary on the Mishnah
1833 — Jews of Kur-Hessen granted full emancipation (first in Germany)
1872 — Conference of Jewish notables of western Europe at Brussels, to discuss Rumanian question
1898 — Outside a small Rothschild funded Jewish agricultural settlement, Herzl publicly awaited the Kaiser on his way to Jerusalem. The Kaiser’s and his cortege stopped to speak briefly with Herzl. It was the first public acknowledgement of Herzl as the leader of the world Zionist movement by a major European power.
1910 — Ten men and two women established Degania Alef, the first Kibbutz on the shore of the Lake Kinneret
1930 — (7th of Cheshvan, 5691) At the Budapest University, after a lecture at the Anatomical Institute today attended by legal and medical students who “suddenly attacked and severely thrashed fellow Jewish students
1933 — (9th of Cheshvan, 5694) Jerusalem today became the scene of the bloodshed that has been going on in Palestine since Friday in connection with Arab protests against Jewish immigration, three Arabs being killed and about seventy wounded, fifteen of them seriously, in clashes with the police
1937 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5698) Two Arab ….. gun men fired on Jewish drainage workers who had been working at Herod’s Gate and were getting on a truck to go home. One Jew was seriously wounded by the gunman who had climbed on to the truck; Erev Shabbat, Aaron Alkabat, a 32 year old Jew from Morocco was shot to death and two other Jews were seriously wounded this evening when they were fired on as they returned from praying at the Western Wall
1938 — (4 Cheshvan 5699) The Shoah. In the morning, a column of thousands of Polish Jews deported from Germany arrived at the border with Poland, and SS men drove the Jews onto Polish territory with clubs. But Polish border guards, under threat of being shot, refused to let the Jews through. For three days the people remained in the open air in the neutral zone, and only on November 1 did the Poles place the Jews in barracks near the border town of Zbąszyń.
1939 — (16 Cheshvan 5700) The settlement of Amir was founded using the «Tower and Stockade» method.
1941 — (8 Cheshvan 5702) The Shoah. Mass execution of the Jews of Kaunas. A second one took place on November 25. At the Ninth Fort, approximately 19,000 were killed.
1941 — (8 Cheshvan 5702) The Shoah. The beginning of the annihilation of the Jews of Kremenchuk. By November 7, 7,000–8,000 people had been killed.
1941 — (8 Cheshvan 5702) The Shoah. Over the course of 4 days, including the 30th and the 8th–9th of November, SS Einsatzgruppen and units of the Latvian police murdered approximately 27,000 Jews in the forest near the Rumbula railway station outside Riga
1941 — (8th of Cheshvan, 5702) Нolocaust. ….. The SS and Lithuanian police carried out the brutal massacre of those Kovno Jews who were not «selected» the prior day for work. In groups of a hundred, Jews were stripped naked, marched to the edge of ditches, and then fired upon. Most were killed instantly. Many were left to die slowly of their wounds. Einsatskommando reported the killing of 2,008 men, 2,920 women and 4,257 children
1941 — (8 Cheshvan 5702) The Shoah. In Lozova (Kharkov region), about 300 Jews were shot. In Oster (Chernigov region) — 215 Jews. From the Kishinev ghetto, another Jewish transport of 1,004 people departed in the direction of Ukraine
1942 — (18th of Cheshvan, 5703) Нolocaust. ….. Eliyahu Rozanski of the Jewish Fighting Organization assassinates Jakub Lejkin, the new commander of the Jewish police in the Warsaw ghetto. Soon after an additional 13 Jewish police who were very involved with the Warsaw actions of the summer were also killed. The Jewish resistance movements and many others in the ghettos viewed the ghetto police as loathsome collaborators. From their point of view, the police were doing the work of the Nazis. They were herding others off to the death camps in a deluded belief that somehow they and their loved ones could avoid the same fate. While the idea of one Jew killing another Jew may seem troublesome from the distance of six decades, those who were not there have no right to judge those who were in hell we cannot even begin to imagine
1942 — (18th of Cheshvan, 5703 Нolocaust. The Nazis murdered 3230 thousand Jews from Sandomierz, Poland at the Belzec extermination camp; The Nazis killed 16,000 Jews in Pinsk, Russia
1942 — (18 Cheshvan 5703) The Shoah. In Ostroh, approximately 150 more Jews were shot
1944 — (12 Cheshvan 5705) The Haganah headquarters issued an order shifting the burden of the struggle against IZL (Irgun) and LEHI from the organization to volunteers
1945 — (22th of Cheshvan, 5706) The first ballpoint pen went on sale at that Jewish emporium, New York’s Gimbels Department Store
1948 — (26th of Tishrei, 5709) War for independence. ….. Prior to the launch of Operation Hiram, tonight, Israeli aircraft flew 13 missions, dropping 21 tons on the villages whose capture was part of the goal of an operation intended to ensure that the upper Galilee would be in Jewish hands when the next UN ceasefire began; As part of Operation Hiram, the Israeli Seventh occupied Qaddita, Meirun, Safsaf and Jish. The village of Safsaf was defended by the Arab Liberation Army’s Second Yarmuk Battalion. The battle lasted through the night with both sides suffering serious casualties; Operation Hiram continues with a pitched battle at the strong of Jish which is the same place as Gush Halav where the Jews had fought the Romans 2000 years ago. The difference is that this time the Jews are the
1952 — (10th of Cheshvan, 5713) The Jerusalem Post’s editorial commented ….. on the recent unrest of new immigrants in ma’abarot. While it was a pity that the current, mostly Communist agitation in camps turned the immigrants’ mind aside from the achievements of the government and the Jewish Agency in absorbing the massive immigration under difficult conditions, it was high time that the conscience of the entire Israeli people to be aroused to a nationwide effort to integrate the ma’abarot residents into the life of the country by a practical and abiding personal interest in their problems. Ma’abarot was the name given to the large, temporary camps constructed for newcomers to Israel. The first one was built in 1949 and hundreds more would be built to take care of the influx of immigrants. They were obviously not a perfect solution but they were the best the struggling state could do under the circumstances
1956 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5717) The Sinai Campaign known in Hebrew as the Mivtza Kadesh began. ….. It lasted 8 days; it was coordinated with both France and England. The reasons for the war were twofold: The increased attacks on civilians by the Egyptian backed Fedayeen from Gaza had caused 1300 casualties in Israel. The second was the blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba which denied the Red Sea shipping routes to Israeli ships or the ships of other nations that would be bring goods to Israel. This meant that Israeli shipping was limited to Mediterranean ports which meant that Israeli’s economy was “breathing on one lunge.” The French and English on the other hand were concerned with Egypt’s decision to nationalize the Suez Canal. While Israel attacked Gaza and pushed into half of Sinai, the French and English secured the canal itself. On the Israeli side 171 people were killed with several hundred wounded. Under massive United States and Soviet pressure Israel was forced to withdraw from the Sinai. The campaign began with an audacious paratroop drop by Israeli forces at the Straits of Tiran which opened the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping. As Chief of Staff, Moshe Dayan masterminded the lightning campaign that swept across the Sinai Peninsula. The man with eye patch became an international symbol for the “new Jew,” a resourceful fighter, the citizen soldier building and defending the ancient Jewish state. The Suez Campaign actually lasted for about 100 hours
1956 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5717) Sinai Campaign. ….. Four Israeli propeller-driven P-51 fighters cross into the Sinai. Flying at 12 feet above the ground, they use their propellers to cut the telephone lines connecting the Egyptian air force and army communication centers. The Egyptians have the larger force. It is well supplied by the Soviets with the latest in equipment. But the Israelis have the “advantages” of audacity and desperation. This was followed by a drop of less than 400 paratroopers at the eastern end of the Mitla Pass. The Mitla Pass was the key to the Israeli advance across the Sinai
1956 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5717) Sinai Campaign. ….. Border Police platoon shot and killed 48 unarmed Arab civilians in the village of Kafr Kasim east of Petah Tikvah because the residents were unknowingly in violation of a curfew imposed on the village due to the onset of the Sinai Campaign. The subsequent trial and conviction of the border policemen created a legal precedent that determined that certain military orders — such as those to shoot unarmed curfew violators — are so manifestly illegal that they must be disobeyed. The President of Israel apologizes publicly for this episode in a speech on December 21, 2007
1956 — (24th of Cheshvan, 5717) Sinai Campaign. A regiment of paratroopers under the command of Rafael Eitan (Raful), lands near the eastern entrance of the Mitla Pass. The rest of the brigade forces move through the Sinai desert, capturing on their way several Egyptian strongholds after swift battles. Rafael Eitan’s regiment deploys near the dropping zone and waits for the rest of the brigade to join
1957 — (4th of Cheshvan, 5718) A blast from a hand grenade or a bomb in the Knesset wounded David Ben Gurion and four cabinet ministers
1964 — (23th of Cheshvan, 5725) The town of Carmiel which is “twinned” with Baltimore, MD was established today
1973 — (3 Cheshvan 5734) Maj. Gen. R. Eitan was summoned to the Chief of Staff D. Elazar, who congratulated him on his promotion to the rank of general. Eitan’s recollections follow: «I was about to leave, but I noticed: Dado wanted to add something. He looked me in the eyes in silence and suddenly said: ‘Believe me, I did everything in human power in this war. But I feel that I will be accused of miscalculations to which I had no connection whatsoever. Great troubles await me. I know.’ I sat in bewilderment, as I am not very good at expressing sympathy in a time of trouble. And so I was completely at a loss when Dado began to cry. It was one of the most difficult moments of my life.»
1979 — (8 Cheshvan 5740) Israel. Official adoption by the IDF of domestically produced tanks («Merkava»).
1981 — (1 Cheshvan 5742) A car bomb was detonated near the Sephardic synagogue in Antwerp; two people were killed and about 100 wounded in the attack.
1991 — (21th of Cheshvan, 5752) Today, the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel was founded on the hospital grounds, the largest such facility in Israel. It opened to the public in April 1992. It spans an area of 35,000 sq. meters.
1991 — (21 Cheshvan 5752) Terrorist attack. Buses packed with people were traveling from Shiloh to Tel Aviv for a protest demonstration against the Madrid Agreements. Near the Tapuach junction, gunfire was opened from an ambush on one of the buses. The bus driver, Yitzhak Rofe, and one of the passengers, Rachel Druck, who was traveling with her son, were killed. Five people were wounded. In 1991, the settlement of Rehelim was founded at the site of the attack.
1998 — (9 Cheshvan 5759) Terrorist attack. Soldier Alexei Neikov was escorting a bus carrying Jewish children to school in Gush Katif (Gaza) in a jeep. A car packed with explosives suddenly appeared and attempted to ram the bus. Neikov managed to block the road to the terrorist. A massive explosion followed. Neikov was killed, but the children were saved.
2002 — (23 Cheshvan 5763) Terrorist attack. An Arab who had infiltrated the settlement of Hermesh shot dead a woman and two children.
2011 — (1 Cheshvan 5772) A massive rocket and mortar barrage from Gaza targeted Israeli territory. One person was killed, five were wounded.
2014 — (5 Cheshvan 5775) A cornerstone-laying ceremony was held for the construction of a new seaport in Ashdod.
2014 — (5 Cheshvan 5775) The Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund decided not to renew its 1960 agreement with the Government of Israel. This meant that the Fund ceased its partnership with the Israel Land Administration and began independently managing the lands it owned. Under the 1960 agreement, the Fund had remained the formal owner of acquired lands as the representative of the Jewish people, but had transferred the rights to their exploitation to the Israel Land Administration, which had been created for that purpose.
2015 — (16 Cheshvan 5776) Israel became a full member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
2022 — (4 Cheshvan 5783) Terrorist attack near the settlement of Kiryat Arba, outside Hebron. An Arab opened fire on a vehicle with Israeli license plates. Four people were wounded; one of them later died in hospital.
2023 — (14 Cheshvan 5784) Hundreds of Dagestanis stormed the Makhachkala airport to attack Jewish passengers on a flight from Tel Aviv. Breaking down the entrance doors, the crowd burst into the airport building and ran out onto the runway. The crowd chanted «Allahu Akbar!» and searched the airport premises for Jews and Israelis. The plane from Israel had managed to leave Makhachkala airport before the crowd broke onto the runway, and it landed at an airfield near Makhachkala.
People
1451 — (4 Kislev 5212) Born: C. Columbus, about whose origins the only thing known is that nothing is known for certain.
1486 — (1 Kislev 5247) Obadiah of Bertinoro, also known as the Bartenura (died ca. 1500 in Jerusalem) — a rabbi, traveler, and renowned commentator on the Mishnah, writer — set out for Jerusalem. His commentaries on the Mishnah, based on the Talmud, Rashi, and Maimonides, brought him worldwide fame. These commentaries became so renowned that to this day the Mishnah is studied nowhere without them. Additionally, in his travel notes about his journey to the Land of Israel, the rabbi described the life of the communities he visited along the way.
1826 — (28 Tishrei 5587) The second leader of the Chabad movement, Rabbi Dov Ber (1773–1827), was imprisoned as a result of a denunciation, the main content of which was that he was sending money to the Land of Israel.
1850 — (23 Cheshvan 5611) Born in Mogilev: Israel Dov Ber Frumkin — publisher, journalist, and public figure in the Land of Israel. Died in 1914.
1880 — (24 Cheshvan 5641) Born: A. Ioffe — founder of the Russian school of theoretical physics. Died October 14, 1960.
1890 — (15 Cheshvan 5651) A. Goldfaden performed a reading of his poetry at the premises of the Lviv society «Zion.» Two weeks later, on November 10, the Jewish poet was invited by another political movement, «Shomer Yisrael,» to hold a similar poetry evening. Goldfaden’s poetry, performed by the author himself, made a great impression on the Lviv audience and became a kind of prologue to his upcoming theatrical performances in Lviv.
1891 — (27 Tishrei 5652) Born in New York: the famous American entertainer Fanny Brice. Died May 29, 1951.
1892 — (8 Cheshvan 5653) Born: Recha Freier — Israeli public figure. Died April 2, 1984.
1899 — Born: E. Gabrilovich — screenwriter, writer. Died December 5, 1993.
1906 — (10 Cheshvan 5667) Born: Walter Süsskind — a Dutch Jew who, during the Holocaust, while serving on the Dutch Jewish Council, used his formal and informal connections, together with other Jews of Amsterdam and Dutch anti-fascists, to save more than 600 children from deportation. Killed February 28, 1945
1911 — (7th of Cheshvan, 5672) Joseph Pulitzer passes away. The life of this Hungarian born Jew who served in the Union Cavalry during the Civil War, reminds one of a colorful novel more than the life of an American newspaperman who built what we would call today a media empire. After his death in Charleston, SC, his estate funded the Pulitzer Prizes which honor excellence in journalism and other field of culture and art
1917 — Born: Nathan Panz — football player for Tel Aviv’s Maccabi, two-time champion of Palestine. Killed in the War of Independence on April 28, 1948. A street in Tel Aviv is named after Panz.
1920 — Born: Baruj Benacerraf — American immunologist. Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 1980. Died in August 2011.
1941 — (8 Cheshvan 5702) Born: V. Singer — ice hockey player, goaltender for Moscow’s «Spartak» and the USSR national team, Olympic champion of 1968. Died September 24, 2013.
1993 — (14th of Cheshvan, 5754) Chaim Mizrahi, resident of Beit-El, was kidnapped by three terrorists from a poultry farm near Ramallah. He was murdered and his body burned
2007 — (17th of Cheshvan, 5768) Israel “Poli” Poliakov, actor, singer and member of the legendary comedy trio Hagashash Hahiver (The Pale Scout) died of cancer at Petah Tivkva’s Rabin Medical-Beilinson Campus at the age of 66
2007 — (17 Cheshvan 5768) Staff Sergeant Ehud Ephrati was killed in the southern Gaza Strip. Two other soldiers sustained minor wounds.
2024 — (27 Tishrei 5785) War with Gaza. Day three hundred and eighty-nine. In the northern sector, Captain Yonatan Keren, 22, Staff Sergeant Nisim Meital, 20, Staff Sergeant Aviv Gilboa, 21, and Staff Sergeant Naor Haimov, 22, were killed. Operation «Northern Arrows.» In hospital, 31-year-old Reserve Master Sergeant Yedidia Bloch died of wounds sustained on October 24, 2024, in combat on Lebanese territory.