553- The Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered that under his jurisdiction, instead of reading the Torah on Shabbat, the Greek translation must be read. He also prohibited Rabbanim from speaking in public on the parsha or teaching Torah.

 

March 1, 1349- Massacre of the Jews of Freiberg, Germany, in the Black Death riots.

 

Feb. 10, 1682- Anti-Jewish riots erupted in the city of Cracow, Poland.

 

Feb. 19, 1942- The Nazis confiscated all Sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls) and other sefarim that belonged to the inhabtants of the Kovno ghetto.

 

Feb. 19, 1942- Hitler devised a plan for a Museum of Judaism, to remember the dead Jewish religion, culture and people. Millions of Jewish treasures -- Sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls), ritual objects, books and art -- were looted by the Nazis and taken to warehouses. In Czechoslovakia, the objects were taken to the Jewish Museum in Prague, where the Jews themselves were forced to sort, label, and pack the items for use in the Nazi's future museum. After the war, many of these items were recovered, including thousands of Sifrei Torah and nearly one million books. These were distributed to Jewish communities worldwide, as a living testimony to the indestructibility of the Jewish people.

 

Feb. 7, 1943- The Jews of Solonika, Greece were transported to Nazi extermination camps.  Of the 50,000 Jews who lived in Solonika, only 1,200 survived the Holocaust.

 

Mar. 1, 1960- Hundreds of Jews were among the thousands of victims to perish in a devastating earthquake that struck Agadir, Morocco.

 

Feb. 2, 1970- Knesset bill passed Mi Hu Yehudi defining a Jew as one born to a Jewish mother or one converted to Judaism.

 

Torah Portion

unknown

 

 

or view this week's triennial cycle reading.

Today is

Yom Chamishi, 18 Adar II, 5784

Thursday, March 28, 2024

 

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