This Day in History – June 15/23 Sivan

In 5558/1798, numerous Jews were murdered in Pesaro, Italy, following the retreat of Napoleon’s army. The community observed a fast to mark the event.

Yahrtzeiten

5285/1525, Harav Avraham Mintz of Padua, zt”l;

Harav Yaakov Pollack, the Ba’al Hachilukim, zt”l

5640/1880, Harav Yehoshua Heller, zt”l, mechaber of Chosen Yehoshua, Divrei Yehoshua and more

5659/1899, Harav Hillel Milikovski of Salant, zt”l, a talmid of Harav Yisrael of Salant

5764/2004, Harav Yisrael Mordechai Twersky, Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Yerushalayim, zt”l

5776/2016, Harav Alter Yitzchok Elimelech Safrin, zt”l, Komarna Rebbe of Boro Park

5712/1952, Harav Alexander Ziskind Levine, Zt”l

Harav Alexander Ziskind Levine was born circa 1882 in Rase, Lithuania. His father was Reb Shmuel Yosef.

It is believed that Rav Levine and his Rebbetzin, Menuchah, arrived in the United States from Kovno circa 1912. They settled in Baltimore where Rav Levine served as Mara d’Asra in two kehillos: Anshe Emunah and Rodfe Zedek.

He later moved to New York and served as a Rav in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. Afterward he headed Congregation Kol Yisroel Anshe Poland in Manhattan.

His sefer Doresh Tov L’amo on Chumash was published in 1915 in New York.

The text on his matzeivah relates that he was a giant in Torah and chochmah, was extremely wise and that many came to hear his drashos, whose wondrous words earned him the appellation “Father of Darshanim.”

He was well versed in Shas and Tanach and their commentaries. At the time of his petirah much of his divrei Torah unfortunately remained in manuscript form.

Rav Levine was buried at New Montefiore Cemetery in Long Island.

Zecher tzaddik livrachah

June 15

In 1215, England’s King John put his seal to the Magna Carta (“the Great Charter”) at Runnymede.

In 1775, the Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army.

On this date:

In 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people.

In 1993, former Texas Gov. John Connally, who was wounded in the gunfire that killed President John F. Kennedy, died in Houston at age 76.

In 2003, with a deadline passed for Iraqis to hand in heavy weapons, U.S. forces fanned out across Iraq to seize arms and put down potential foes.