Adar 7, 2368 (1393 BCE):
Moses was born (Sotah 12b) in Egypt when that Pharaoh required all newborn Jewish baby boys to be drowned. His mother hid him in a reed basket, placing it in the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and raised him in the palace. On the same date, 120 years later, Moses passed away. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time and the humblest of men.
March 8, 1957:
Israel was forced by the United Nations and the United States to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, which it had taken in the Sinai Campaign.
March 9, 1959:
Barbie, created by Ruth and Elliot Handler (co-presidents of the Mattel Toy Company), made her debut at the American International Toy Fair. Over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold since then.
March 10, 1951:
In Iraq, a law was passed freezing the assets of all Jews who had left the country and not returned. An estimated $200 million (equivalent to over $2 billion in 2020) worth of property belonging to more than 123,000 Jews who had been forced to flee during 1948-1951 was appropriated by the state.
Adar 11, 5566 (1806):
Death of Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida), Sephardi legal scholar, Kabbalist, emissary, and author of more than 70 books of Jewish commentary, mysticism, and law. He studied under Rabbi Joseph Nabbon, Rabbi Isaac HaKohen Rapaport, and Rabbi Chaim ben Attar.
Adar 12, 3742: (19 BCE):
Dedication of King Herod’s renovations on the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which after eight years of work was one of the most lavish and magnificent buildings of its time. Previously, Herod had built the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and the fortifications around the Old City of Jerusalem; but his most ambitious project was the rebuilding of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing for 334 years.
Adar 13, 3405 (356 BCE):
Battles were fought throughout the Persian Empire between Jews and those seeking to kill them, in accordance with the decree issued by King Achashveirosh 11 months earlier. Achashveirosh never rescinded the decree that citizens attack the Jews on that date; but after the hanging of Haman on Nissan 16 of the previous year and Queen Esther’s pleading on behalf of her people, the king issued a second decree authorizing the Jews to defend themselves against those seeking to kill them. The Jews were victorious, and the 10 sons of Haman were hanged as well (Esther 9:7).
The above is a highly abridged weekly version of Dust & Stars – Today in Jewish History. To receive the complete newsletter highlighting all the seminal events and remarkable Jews who have changed the world: dustandstars.substack.com/subscribe.