That Date Back In 1928 When...
A man was born who would survive the Holocaust in his teens — then spend the next 70 years as an author and teacher for the world. Elie Wiesel's singular "Night" would be translated into 30 languages.
“THAT DATE WHEN": This Week in Jewish History
At the beginning of each week, JEWDICIOUS presents our readers with a select set of consequential dates in Jewish history. This feature is a joint venture with our Substack partner, DUST AND STARS, where you can subscribe to receive access to all landmark dates!
🔯 Monday, September 30/Elul 27:
1928 - Birthday of Elie Wiesel, Romanian-born Shoah survivor, prolific author (57 books), teacher and activist, who is generally credited with coining the term "Holocaust." In 1985 he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom.
Wiesel’s Night, a memoir of his suffering and survival as a teenager during the Holocaust, is widely known as one of the most impactful and educational first-person accounts of the Shoah.
🔯 Tuesday, October 1/Elul 28:
1898 - A decree by the Russian Czar Nicholas II explicitly barred Jews from living in major Russian cities. In Kiev alone, more than 7,000 Jews were forced to relocate.
🔯 Wednesday, October 2/Elul 29
1890 - Birthday of Groucho Marx, American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in vaudeville, movies, TV, radio and the theater. Marx is considered one of the most well-known comics of all time — and also famous for his expression:
“I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.”
🔯 Thursday, October 3/Tishrei 1:
ROSH HASHANAH - On the first and second day of the Hebrew month Tishrei, Jews celebrate the Jewish New Year.
Rosh Hashanah is described in modern parlance as the Jewish holiday that:
“is simultaneously a time of great celebration and subtle trepidation. It is a day to celebrate our creation, but also a day of accounting and judgment for our actions. On Rosh Hashanah, we relate to God as the ultimate judge. The symbolic Book of Life is opened and we become advocates for our personal inscription in it. We review the choices we have made over the past year, our actions and our intentions, as we attempt to honestly evaluate ourselves.”
🔯 Friday, October 4/Tishrei 2:
1927 - Birthday of Jackie Collins, English romance novelist who moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s and wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her books have sold over 500 million copies andhave been translated into 40 languages. Eight of her novels have been adapted for the screen, either as films or television miniseries.
🔯 Saturday, October 5/Tishrei 3:
3719 (582 B.C.E.) - Gedaliah ben Achikam, the last Jewish governor of Judea, was assassinated (2 Kings 25:25). A fast-day was decreed to commemorate his murder, which destroyed the last vestiges of Judean autonomy after the Babylonian conquest. Many thousands of Jews were subsequently slain, and the remaining Jews were driven into exile.
🔯 Sunday, October 6/Tishrei 4:
1973 - Egyptian and Syrian forces launched coordinated surprise invasions of the Sinai and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. On the Golan, 180 Israeli tanks were attacked by 1,400 Syrian tanks, while along the Suez Canal, less than 500 Israeli defenders with only three tanks faced 600,000 Egyptian soldiers backed by 2,000 tanks and 550 aircraft.
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