This Day in History – 3 Cheshvon/October 7

3 Cheshvan

In 5051/1290, 16,000 English Jews were expelled from England in the final expulsion by King Edward I.

Yahrtzeiten

5611/1850, Harav Yisrael Friedman, the Ruzhiner Rebbe, zt”l

5621/1860, Harav Eliezer Horowitz of Dzikov, zt”l

5626/1865, Harav Yosef Zundel of Salant and Yerushalayim, zt”l

5627/1866, Harav Yehudah Leib of Kopust, zt”l

5644/1883, Harav Eliyahu Horoshovsky, zt”l, Rav of Drohobitz and mechaber of Pnei Eliyahu and Ezor Eliyahu

5700/1939, Harav Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern, the Sokolover Rebbe, zt”l

5704/1943, Harav Shabsi Sheftel Weill, zt”l, Rav of Simani, Hungary

5703/1942

Harav Yisrael Hager of Radowitz-America, zt”l

Harav Yisrael Hager was born on 6 Nisan 5636/1876. He was the son of Harav Moshe of Radowitz, a descendant of the Toras Chaim of Kossov, founder of the Kossov-Vizhnitz dynasty. Harav Moshe was the son of Harav Yosef Alter of Radowitz, who later settled in Eretz Yisrael and was buried in Haifa. Harav Moshe also moved to Eretz Yisrael, where he settled in Tzfas.

Following his petirah, his son Harav Yisrael succeeded him as Rebbe in Radowitz.

Reb Yisrael settled in America in 5673/1913, founding Beis Medrash Bnei Yisrael. He also opened a yeshivah named Toras Chaim in honor of his illustrious grandfather.

Besides his activities on behalf of Yiddishkeit in America, Reb Yisrael also supported the beis medrash of his father in Tzfas, sending large sums of money for its upkeep. He founded and sponsored an orphanage in Tzfas.

Reb Yisrael also helped publish the sefer of his father, Vayikach Moshe.

Reb Yisrael was niftar on 3 Cheshvan 5703/1942 at the age of 66. He was buried in the Beth David Cemetery in Long Island, where an ohel was built on his kever.

A few years ago, a group of askanim traveled to the kever of the Rebbe; finding it in a very neglected condition they undertook to renovate it. They have also organized a nesiah to the kever in honor of the yahrtzeit.

For more details please call Reb Menashe Silber at 347-693-4142.

Zechuso yagen aleinu.

October 7

In 1777, the second Battle of Saratoga began during the American Revolution. (British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered 10 days later.)

In 1858, the fifth debate between Illinois senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place in Galesburg.

In 1929, former Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, one of the main figures of the Teapot Dome scandal, went on trial in Washington, D.C., charged with accepting a bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. (Fall was found guilty and sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000; he ended up serving nine months. Ironically, Doheny was acquitted at trial of offering the bribe that Fall was convicted of taking.)

In 1949, the Republic of East Germany was formed.

In 1985, Palestinian gunmen hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean. (The hijackers, who killed Jewish American tourist Leon Klinghoffer, surrendered two days after taking over the ship.)

In 1992, trade representatives of the United States, Canada and Mexico initialed the North American Free Trade Agreement during a ceremony in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2001, the current war in Afghanistan started as the United States and Britain launched air attacks against military targets and Osama bin Laden’s training camps in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.