B"H Yom Yom B"H Yom Yom from Day by Day in Jewish History by Rabbi Abraham P. Bloch z"l [28 Tevet] R. Shimon b. Shetach ridded the Sanhedrin of its Tzadoki members. The day was subsequently celebrated as a holiday. Jews of Switzerland were granted civic equality, 1866, upon pressure exerted by the United States which had interceded on behalf of American Jewish citizens. [January 6] Yeshivat Kol Ya'akov was established in Moscow, 1957. It had the approval of the Soviet government because they wanted to show the world that they weren't anti-Semitic, nor were they suppressing Jewish education and life. [29 Tevet] Earliest authorization for the establishment of a university, including medical and law studies, under Jewish auspices granted, Sicily, 1466. (It never happened because the Jews of Sicily were expelled some years later.) Recife, Brazil conquered by Portugal, ending the legal existence of the prosperous Jewish community there, 1654. Purim of Tripoli, celebrating the downfall of the Burgel Pasha, 1793. [January 7] Millard Fillmore's birthday, 1800. Israel shot down 5 British planes that flew over the battlefront with Egypt, 1949. [1 Shvat] The Biblical plague of ARBEH (locust). We read of 7 of its co-plagues this Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh Shvat. Moshe Rabeinu begins his farewell address to the people and review of the Torah, final year of wandering. [January 8] Jews of Genoa, Italy, were expelled, 1598. [2 Shvat] Death of Alexander Yannai, 76 b.c.e. Date was celebrated as a holiday, since his strong Sadducee policies and appointments posed a serious threat to Rabbinic Judaism. Yahrzeit of the Tzemach Tzedek, 1661. [January 9] Inquisition established in Peru, 1570. Warsaw Jews were forbidden to greet a German in public, 1941. 3000 Jews killed in riots in Bucharest, 1941. Jews of Basle, Switzerland burned alive in wooded houses specially constructed for that purpose, 1349. [3 Shvat] Jewish mourners attacked in Fostat, Egypt, 1012. Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, 1933. The same day saw the founding of the Society of Youth Aliya, which brought the Israel over 115,000 children 12-16. [January 10] Anti-Jewish riots in Ancona, Italy, 1798. British took two ships of "illegal" immigrants to Cyprus, 1947. Arab Liberation Army invaded Eretz Yisrael, 1948. [4 Shvat] Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sasov, 1808. [Eli Wiesel tells the story that Reb Moshe Leib was well-known for always initiated greetings to others. It was his way of showing his love of his fellow Jews. Once, a person decided to sneak up on Reb Moshe and say Shalom Aleichem to him first. Just as Reb Moshe Leib was about to be "pounced upon", a women called out the name Moshe (intending to call her own son) and Reb Moshe Leib turned around. When he saw the man behind him, he immediately greeted him with a warm Shalom Aleichem, thereby preserving his "record".] [January 11] A state of siege was declared in Jerusalem, 1799, as Napoleon approached Gaza and Yafo. Israel's population reached 3,000,000 on this day in 1971. [5 Shvat] Jews of Sicily and Naples were invited to return (having been expelled previously) by Charles the Bourbon, 1740. BILU (for Beit Yaakov L'chu V'neilacha) founded, 1882, early Russian Zionist movement. Russian government closed the Volozhin Yeshiva, 1892. Yahrzeit of the S'fat Emet, the 2nd Gerer Rebbe, 1905. The35 members of the Hagana (the LAMID-HEI) were ambushed and killed in the Gush Etzion area (Hebron hills), 1948. [January 12] First provisional council of Palestinian Jewry was established, 1917. (We were the Palestinians long before the name was usurped by the Arabs.) [6 Shvat] Jews of Majorca were guaranteed protection, 1393. This was "forgotten" about 20 years later, when persecution started up again. 20 years after that, the Jewish community was destroyed. [January 13] Emile Zola published "J'Accuse", 1898. Pravda article, 1953, touched off a wave of virulent anti-Semitism throughout Russia. [The Vaeira Homepage]
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