Today’s Yahrtzeits and History – 8 Iyar

Rav Raphael Binyamin Levine, son of Rav Aryeh Levine. Rav Refael studied in the Eitz Chaim Talmud Torah, and was very close to its rosh yeshiva, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. He continued his studies in the Chevron yeshiva in Yerushalayim and the Lomza yeshiva in Petach Tikvah, where he studied bechavrusa with Rav Reuven Katz, the rov of Petach Tikva. He married Channah Liba, daughter of Rav Chaim Shraga Feivel Frank, the rav of the Yemin Moshe neighborhood in Yerushalayim. After his marriage, he continued his studies in the Mirrer yeshiva under Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel. When the Beis Aryeh yeshiva opened, Rav Refael’s father, Rav Aryeh Levine asked him to serve as its menahel ruchani, a position he occupied until his final day. He was also a dayan in the beis din tzeddek of the Ashkenaz-Perushim community founded by Rav Shmuel Salant. (1925-2002)

Today in History – 8 Iyar

· Jewish community of Speyer was massacred in the First Crusade, 1096, commemorated in the Kinah “Mi Yitein Roshi Mayim”, we say on Tisha B’Av.
· Venicebecame the first city in the world where the term ghetto was associated with the Jewish quarter, when the Jews were compelled to move into a restricted area, 1516. The area was formerly the site of a foundry which manufactured weapons for the government of Venice. The Italian term for “foundry” is ghetto. The first official document which uses the word ghetto to describe an area restricted to the residence of Jews exclusively was a papal edict from 1562.
· Many Jews perished in anti-Jewish riots in Lemberg (Lvov), 1667. The anniversary was proclaimed a fast-day.
· The Venetian armies’ attack on Aegean Island, which had a sizeable number of Jews, was beaten off, 1669. In commemoration, the local Jews instituted an annual celebration.
· The last illegal refugee boats “For Victory” and “Israel” which departed from Italy reach the Tel Aviv coast, 1948. During 1934-1948, illegal boats brought 110,000 European refugees to Israel.
· Israelcaptured Acco, 1948.