The first Yom Hashoa

Wikipedia: Yom HaShoah was inaugurated in 1951. The original proposal was to hold Yom Hashoah on the 14th of Nisan the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising (April 19, 1943), but this was problematic because the 14th of Nisan is the day immediately before Pesach (Passover). The date was moved to the 27th of Nisan...

The editorial that appears below was published by The New York Times on the Uprising's first anniversary.

RELATED
- An account of the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto. (no idea if this was a first mention)

- First mention of the Uprising. Note the following quote: "Polish circles here believe 1,300,000 Polish Jews have perished already..."

- An account of a commemoration held in NYC in 1943, followed by a protest march. Those convinced that American Jews were irriligious in 1943 are encouraged to take a gander at the photo that accompanies the article. (HT: Krum for this article)

Search for more information about Yom Hashoa at 4torah.com.

First Mention: Birchas Hachama, the Sun Blessing

In this new and occasional feature, DovBear looks at the New York Time's first mention of various subjects of interest. Previously

Today: Birchas Hachama, the blessing made once every 28 years, which will be made again on April 8, 2009

First Appeared: April 8, 1897

Read the whole article here

Neat things to notice and remark upon:

1. The paper's near-Himalayan condescension to the Irish police officer. I love snootiness.

2. Speaking of Himalayan condescension, do you think the fact that so many NY Jews kept this ritual in EIGHTEEN NINETY SEVEN will do anything to blunt Bray's constant claim that Judaism in America was non-existent before his holy shtel dwellers arrived after World War II?

3. Also, be sure to catch the paper's polite regard for the Jews, and their ceremony.

Puzzled about Birchas Hachama? Wondering why Jews make a blessing once every 28 years? Find answers to all your questions about the sun blessing here.

First mention: Purim

In this new and occasional feature, DovBear looks at the New York Time's first mention of various subjects of interest.

Today: PURIM
First Appeared: March 7, 1863





Read the full article here.

Things I learned today:
(1) There was a Purim Ball in NYC in the 1860s!
(2) The Purim Ball was occasionally attended by the mayor (this was in the 1860s!), and the Times treated the Purim Ball as a major social event until at least the early 1900s. (Read an especially lavish descritption from March 23, 1864)
(3) In the 1880s the venue was the Metropolitan Opera House. In the early 1900s it moved to Madison Square Garden, and, in 1907, the Governor made an appearence.

The articles about the annual Purim Ball stop appearing in the 1920s. Why? Three possible explanations, aside from the obvious (i.e. that the Ball was discontinued):

(a) The ball lost its significance, perhaps because the German Jewish socialites who extablished and attended the ball had become more assimilated; (b) The Time's changed its policy on covering social events; or (c) the arrival of the Eastern European hordes somehow changed the general impression of Jews.

I expect the true answer is some combination of the above.

First Mention: The Hazon Ish

In this new and occasional feature, DovBear will look at the New York Time's first mention of various subjects of interest.

Today: The Hazon Ish
Appeared: October 21, 1952



Click here to read the article.

Why am I thinking about the Hazin Ish today? Because Bray recycled an old story about him, and (natch) is misusing it.