Segula - The Jewish Journey Through History, 10 Yad Harutzim, Jerusalem (2025)

09/02/2025

Storm in Damascus

This week, 185 years ago, the horrific blood libel against the Jews of Damascus began.
It started with a mysterious incident.

On February 5, 1840, in the afternoon, Father Tommaso, the head of the Franciscan monastery in Damascus, and his personal servant, Ibrahim Amara, made their way to the Jewish quarter to post a notice on the door of one of the synagogues. Then they vanished without a trace.

Count de Ratti-Menton, the lead investigator of the case, sent a report to France with his findings. He wrote:
"The street leading to the monastery was filled with Christians of all denominations, shouting that Father Tommaso had been murdered by the Jews."

Following the accusations against the Jewish community for the murder of Father Tommaso and his servant, key figures in the Jewish community were arrested by the authorities.
They endured horrific torture during their interrogations and were eventually charged with the abduction and murder of the two men to use their blood for making matzah.

During the investigations, authorities kidnapped and tortured over sixty Jewish children in an attempt to extract confessions from their parents regarding the alleged murder.

The rumor of the blood libel in Damascus spread waves and reached Jewish communities worldwide. The Jewish world was in turmoil, and efforts began in communities everywhere to clear the name of the Jews of Damascus. Poets and writers also joined the outreach efforts.

One of them was the Hebrew poet Eliahu Mordechai Verbil from Tarnopol, who wrote a poem detailing the blood libel in Damascus:
A priest named Tommaso and his servant both disappeared,
And from among the community, they suddenly vanished.
Then arose a clamor; the oppressor Menton shouted,
Only by the hands of these Jews were they murdered.
And to make matzah, they took their blood,
We will now strike them for this sin of murder.

Pictured above: Poet Eliahu Mordechai Verbil’s manuscript of the poem "Content of the Libel," from the archives of the National Library of Israel
Pictured below: Father Tommaso and his servant as documented in a consular report published in 1850
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30/01/2025

This week, 94 years ago, Tel Aviv’s first ambulance – the first in the entire country – was inaugurated in a grand ceremony. Crowds lined the streets cheering as the festive procession led by the new vehicle made its way through town.

The ambulance set out from the home of Dr. Meshulam Levontin, chairman of the Magen David Adom Society, on Yarkon Street and continued to the residence of Mayor Meir Dizengoff on Rothschild Boulevard. The next day, Haaretz newspaper reported:

"The ambulance vehicle, which roamed the city streets all day, made a magnificent impression. Built in the style of Europe’s modern ambulances, it’s painted white, with a red Star of David on each side. Inside, it’s equipped with four stretchers, a padded sofa, a sink with a faucet, a cabinet for medical instruments, and a telephone." (Haaretz, 26.1.1931)

Magen David Adom was the result of a grassroots initiative, emerging from the sands of early Tel Aviv in the 1930s, sustained by public support and funding.

But what led to its founding?
Who trained the first volunteers, and what did they wear?
And was the young organization ready for its greatest test when the bloody unrest of 1936 began?

The Arab riots of 1929 left seven dead in Tel Aviv and many injured. With no formal first aid organization, the casualties had to be ferried to hospital in wheelbarrows or whichever of the few private cars people offered for this purpose.

Magen David Adom’s first volunteers were graduates of a first aid-course for Labor Zionist sport’s team Hapoel. Sent to attend mass events where crowding could cause accidents, they were issued grey uniforms so that they’d stand out from the general population in any disaster. Their white armbands marked with a red Star of David matched the organization’s name – Magen David Adom.

When the Arab Revolt broke out in 1936, Magen David Adom was on the scene at once. Over the first weeks of rioting, its volunteers took care of some thousand injuries, 275 of them severe.

📷 Photo: Evacuation of an injured construction worker, Tel Aviv, 1947; Hans Pinn, Israel National Photo Collection
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29/01/2025

The latest edition of Segula Magazine is hot off the press!

In our new winter issue you will:
* Discover the daring defiance of the Judean rebels as told through their minted coins
* Meet Flora Sassoon, a trailblazing woman who redefined Jewish womanhood across continents
* Explore the prophetic vision of Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, a harbinger of modern Zionism
* Uncover fascinating bird-feeding customs from Jewish communities around the world.

Purchase an annual subscription for 23 NIS a month ($8 internationally), and receive 4 vibrant magazine issues a year, including delivery.

Segula Magazine brings the rare stories of our past to life, introducing you to the people and events that shaped Jewish history. Each issue is meticulously researched, superbly written, and lavishly illustrated with photos, maps, timelines and more.

Order your subscription here: https://segula.vp4.me/2025-subscription
View a sample issue: bit.ly/Segula_sample

27/01/2025

Auschwitz Liberation Day

Today marks 80 years since the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by the Red Army. Over 1.2 million people were murdered here, 1.1 million of them Jews. Russian soldiers found thousands of prisoners, including children, still alive behind its barbed wire fences.

In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27th, the date of Auschwitz's liberation in 1945, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Auschwitz is recognized as a World Heritage site and attracts millions of visitors a year, all struggling to grasp the unimaginable horrors perpetrated here.

“Come to me, free citizen of the world, you whose existence and safety are guaranteed by the most basic laws of human rights and morality, and I will tell you how modern criminals and base murderers trampled on all ethical codes of existence and corrupted morality.”

These words, carved on the wall of the camp’s Jewish barrack, were written by Zalman Gradowski, a member of Betar who was selected for the Sonderkommando — the work units responsible for disposing of bodies from the gas chambers. Gradowski was among the leaders of the Sonderkommando rebellion at Birkenau extermination camp, which blew up the crematorium. Although he was killed during the revolt, he managed to leave invaluable documentation of the horrors that transpired in the gas chambers, so carefully hidden by the N***s from the eyes of the rest of the world. His diaries resonate with feeling and strength, fearlessly describing his experiences. He concealed them in water canteens all over the camp, and implored anyone who might discover them to share them, so that the world would know:

“Dear reader, within these lines you’ll find our sufferings and hardship expressed - we, the most unfortunate of the world’s children, during our 'lives' in the hell on earth known as Auschwitz-Birkenau. My purpose is to ensure that at least a minimum of this reality reaches the world, and that you, world, will take vengeance.”

One of his most powerful accounts described a mother led naked with her daughter to the gas chamber, who boldly broke silence:
“A nine-year-old girl walks… followed by her fearless mother, who began to talk to the officers: 'Murderers! Thieves! Shameless criminals! Yes, you are now exterminating us, innocent women and children. You are blaming us, the defenseless, for the war. Did my child and I bring this war down on you? Remember, thieves, right now you can do everything easily, but the day of vengeance will still come…' Then she spat in their faces and ran to the gas chamber with her child. They stood mute and frozen. None of them had the guts to look the others in the eye. They’d heard the truth in its greatness, heard it through to the end, cutting, tearing, shredding their beastly souls.”

Photo credit: pzk net, Creative Commons by 3.0
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23/01/2025

What could be a more innocent image than children playing jump rope in a circular courtyard?
But a closer look reveals a heartbreaking wartime story:
The location: The courtyard of the Ratisbonne Monastery in Jerusalem
The year: 1948, or perhaps 1949
The children: Evacuees from kibbutzim surrounding Jerusalem

On the 23rd of Tevet, 5708 (77 years ago today), the children of Kfar Etzion were evacuated to the Ratisbonne Monastery. The decision, which cast doubt on the future of the entire Gush Etzion bloc, was a painful one. But the children’s safety came first—leaving them in a war zone was simply not an option.

Under British military es**rt, an armored convoy arrived to carry them to safety. The children were packed tightly into the vehicle, clutching their toys and clothes. Mothers climbed aboard last, while fathers, left behind, watched through cracks in the armor, waving goodbye. None of them imagined this farewell would be their last.

The Ratisbonne monks opened their doors to the refugees. Though Jerusalem itself was under bombardment, the monastery’s sturdy basements and spacious rooms offered a safe haven for the children and their mothers.

For the young evacuees, the monks in their floor-length brown robes seemed to have stepped out of a fairy tale. Despite the noise and upheaval the children brought, the monks welcomed them warmly. Months passed, the war raged on, and hope of returning home dwindled.

On the 4th of Iyar (May 15th), 1948, tragic news reached the monastery: “Malka has fallen.” ("Malka" was the wireless code name for Kfar Etzion.) The children were sent to play in the courtyard so they wouldn’t hear their mothers’ cries.

The Ratisbonne Monastery, founded 70 years earlier as an orphanage for Lebanese war refugees, was in that moment returned to its original purpose. It became, once again, a home for children who had suddenly lost both their fathers and their homes to war.

Who was Father Alphonse Ratisbonne?
What inspired him to establish an orphanage in 1876?
And how does this connect to the Lebanese Civil War?

Tamar Hayardeni unravels the extraordinary history of the Ratisbonne Monastery, from its founding to the present day, in her upcoming article, Chronicles of the Monastery, appearing in the next issue of Segula Magazine.

Photo: Hugo Mendelson, Israel National Photo Collection
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22/01/2025

It was midday, and Washington held its breath. Two dramatic scenes unfolded simultaneously: at the very moment the 40th President of the United States was sworn in on the steps of the Capitol, the long-awaited news arrived in town – after 14 grueling months, the American hostages were finally on their way to freedom.

That day was January 20, 1981, the day Ronald Wilson Reagan was inaugurated, 44 years ago this week.

Reagan’s victory over Jimmy Carter was unexpected. Then, as now, Americans woke up the morning after the election to a sweeping wave of red states. The hawkish, charismatic candidate who’d promised peace through power had defeated the experienced, pragmatic, and dignified Democratic president.

The American public was deeply troubled at that time, feeling impotent in the face of Iran’s new Ayatollah regime. A year earlier, hundreds of Iranian students had stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American citizens hostage. The Iranians issued outrageous demands for their release. Carter planned a military rescue operation, but it failed disastrously, and the hostages were scattered across various prisons, making their liberation seem even more remote. Carter’s failure to free the hostages became a key factor in his electoral defeat.

Yet, in the weeks following the election, conditions ripened for negotiations with Iran. Carter successfully brokered a deal, setting the release for Reagan’s inauguration day.

After 444 harrowing days in captivity, the 52 hostages were finally freed. Though Jimmy Carter was there to welcome them upon their return, it was Ronald Reagan who had the honor of announcing their release to the nation, declaring, “We will no longer call them hostages. They were prisoners of war.” Celebrations erupted across the United States, and the Statue of Liberty’s torch was lit in the freed captives’ honor. Oceans away, chants of “Death to America” reverberated all over revolutionary Iran.

Photo: President Ronald Reagan at a White House reception for the freed hostages, January 27, 1981. White House Photo Collection, public domain
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19/01/2025

This week 34 years ago, the signal was given to open up the “jaws of hell” against Iraq.

It took Saddam Hussein just two days to conquer Kuwait in August 1990. The small, sovereign nation was swiftly declared Iraq’s 19th province. To further flaunt his defiance, Saddam posed with European hostages, using them as leverage to safeguard his military gains.

His threats against Saudi Arabia sent shockwaves across the globe, raising fears that the dictator might soon control the majority of the world’s oil reserves. Economic sanctions were imposed, and by late November, the UN delivered an ultimatum: withdraw from Kuwait by January 16, or “the jaws of hell” will be opened against you.

Unmoved, Saddam ignored the deadline. When time ran out, the attack commenced, just after midnight on January 17, 1991. A coalition of 33 nations, led by the United States, rallied nearly a million soldiers and deployed vast resources in Operation Desert Storm. The opening salvo – a relentless air assault involving 2,000 sorties and 2,000 tons of explosives – obliterated Iraq’s air defenses and command infrastructure.

By the following day, Israel found itself an unintended participant in the conflict, as Iraqi Scud missiles rained down on Tel Aviv.

The air campaign went on for six weeks, followed by a lightning-quick ground offensive lasting just 100 hours. The coalition forces successfully pushed the Iraqi army back to its borders. President George H.W. Bush declared Kuwait liberated and announced a ceasefire.

Yet the victory was incomplete. Critics accused Bush of halting the war too soon, sparing Saddam’s regime. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney defended the decision, saying: “For the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn’t a cheap war. And the question in my mind is, how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth? And the answer is, not that damned many.”

Twelve years later, in the Second Gulf War, Saddam’s rule was finally dismantled. Subsequently, between 2003 and 2011, the U.S. lost 4,800 troops in Iraq.

Photo: Members of the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron after Operation Desert Storm, March 1991. U.S. Air Force, public domain.
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16/01/2025

No one was there waiting for them when they came out of captivity. No signs were waved, no bread broken in welcome.

They emerged from the camps into freezing snow—hungry, frail, and utterly destitute. They thought the war was nearly over and they’d soon be free. But it quickly became clear that beyond the barbed wire fences, they were even more vulnerable, more alone. Their journey to liberation was far from over.

The infamous “death marches” were part of a German effort to “cover their tracks” by dismantling their concentration and extermination camps in Eastern Europe as the war drew to a close. Their official intention was to evacuate prisoners to German-held territories. In practice, they became yet another means of mass murder. Over half of those forced to march perished — some murdered by their N**i guards or by collaborators, others succumbing to the brutal conditions.

Among those who marched was David Leitner, known as “Dugo.” In the spring of 1944, he was deported from Hungary to Auschwitz, separated from his family, and sent to a forced labor camp. On January 18, 1945, aged just 14, Dugo walked out of the camp gates into a cold, unkind world, stepping into the unknown.

At one point, exhaustion, hunger, and the bitter cold nearly overcame him. As his vision blurred, he thought of his mother, Golda, and a story she used to tell him when he was a child. She said that in the land of Israel, “bilkelech”— the small, round rolls children loved to eat - grew on trees, ready to be picked. That memory, and the dream of one day savoring those bilkelech in the promised land, gave him hope and he found the strength to keep going. Dugo survived the march, reaching Mauthausen and later Gunskirchen, where he was liberated in May 1945.

Years later, after immigrating to Israel, Dugo was strolling through Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda Market and saw falafel balls frying in oil. They reminded him of the bilkelech from his mother’s story. At that moment, he resolved that every year, on the anniversary of the death march he’d survived, he’d eat falafel to celebrate being alive, free, and nourished in the Land of Israel.

His tradition inspired many. For over a decade, "Operation Dugo" has been marked in Israel and across the globe. Dugo passed away a year and a half ago at the age of 93, but his story lives on.

Photo courtesy of Yad Vashem
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02/01/2025

“No sails whitened the horizon,
So begins the tale,
When five ships in the dark
Slipped out of Cherbourg harbor.”
Yoram Taharlev

Fifty-five years ago, on December 31, 1969, in the midst of a severe French arms embargo against Israel – and despite the French president’s explicit orders to the contrary – five brand-new missile boats anchored off Israel’s coast.
How did the Israeli navy do it?

This is the story of “Operation Noah.”
It begins in 1965, when Israel signed an agreement with France to manufacture 12 advanced missile boats for the Israeli Navy.

Construction took place in the shipyards of Cherbourg, a French port city. However, after the Six-Day War broke out, French President Charles de Gaulle imposed an arms embargo on all nations involved in the conflict. France reluctantly delivered the six boats that were already completed, sailing them to Israel as unarmed patrol vessels.

On the very day the sixth boat was handed over, Israel launched a retaliatory airstrike on Beirut’s airport (Operation Gift) in response to a terrorist attack on an El Al plane. Using French helicopters, the Israeli Air Force destroyed 14 Lebanese passenger planes. Furious, and under pressure from Lebanon, de Gaulle declared that the remaining boats in Cherbourg would not be transferred to Israel. While a seventh boat managed to slip through, five vessels remained stranded in France, seemingly beyond reach.

But the Israeli Navy wasn’t ready to give up. They devised a cunning plan – Operation Noah. Israel officially renounced its claim to the five ships, which were then purchased by Martin Siem, a Norwegian shipping magnate, ostensibly for oil exploration. The deal was finalized, and on the night of December 24-25, 1969, while Cherbourg celebrated Christmas Eve, the five missile boats quietly slipped out of port. Moving under cover of darkness, without lights or flags, they began their clandestine journey.

The ships traveled an astonishing 5,700 kilometers (3,540 miles) without docking. Mid-sea refueling by Israeli naval vessels kept them moving. Only after it became evident that their course didn’t align with any destination in Norway did the French authorities grow suspicious.

After a week of perilous sailing filled with technical challenges and security risks, the boats neared Haifa, shielded by Israeli Air Force planes. On December 31, 1969, the missile boats arrived safely at Kishon Port and were officially integrated into the Israeli Navy.

Though Operation Noah caused diplomatic rifts, it also garnered quiet support from some nations and captured public admiration worldwide for its audacity and ingenuity.

Photo: Cherbourg missile boats off Israel’s coast, January 1970. Courtesy of the Aliyah Bet and Naval Museum
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31/12/2024

Who Do You Think is Best Suited to Be Prime Minister?

If a survey had been conducted among the Jewish population in the 2nd century BCE, Jonathan the Hasmonean would likely have topped the list as the most suitable leader.

This reality wasn’t lost on Bacchides, the Seleucid general who defeated Judah the Maccabee and represented the ruling power in Judea. His relentless pursuit of the rebel forces proved futile, as Jonathan enjoyed overwhelming popular support, far outstripping that of the Hellenized elite in Jerusalem. Recognizing the futility of backing the corrupt establishment, Bacchides turned to Jonathan, paving his path from daring underground fighter to leader of a robust state.

For 18 years, Jonathan steered the people of Judea on what could only be described as a rollercoaster of leadership. He was a cunning strategist, a rebel and a ruler, a brilliant tactician on the battlefield, and a gifted diplomat. Jonathan’s natural talent and charisma were well-matched to the era’s volatile Middle Eastern power dynamics, which he skillfully exploited for his people’s benefit. He forged alliances with Greece and Rome, shifted his support as needed, and consistently reaped handsome rewards for his calculated moves.

Jonathan elevated Judea to a prominent position on the international stage, decisively overcame the Hellenized faction in Jerusalem, and began expanding the borders of the Hasmonean state. While Judah led his battles with only a few thousand soldiers, Jonathan commanded tens of thousands on the battlefield.

Though he did not establish a royal dynasty, Jonathan the Hasmonean secured Judea’s independence and ensured it could govern itself according to the traditions of its ancestors.

Read the full article about Jonathan, “The Youngest Maccabee,” by Haggai Misgav here: https://segulamag.com/en/articles/the-youngest-maccabee/

Illustration by Menahem Halberstadt
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29/12/2024

"I saw our incredible fighters—the heirs of the Maccabees," said the Israeli Prime Minister last week in the Knesset. "They're possessed of the same spirit, the same faith in the righteousness of their cause, the same sense of mission, and the same unwavering determination."

From the dawn of Zionism, the Maccabees have been upheld as role models and as a symbol of Jewish heroism. Herzl himself invoked them in the final lines of his book "The Jewish State":
"I believe a new and wondrous generation will arise among our people. The generation of the Maccabees will be reborn." At the time, his words seemed little more than sentimental longing for a distant and unattainable past.

But Herzl wasn’t the first to draw inspiration from the Hasmonean struggle. In late 19th-century Eastern Europe, Hovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) societies celebrated Hanukkah by exalting the few who triumphed over the many and the bravery that led to national independence in the 2nd century BCE.

In 1895, the first Jewish sports club was established in Constantinople (Istanbul) after its founders were barred from joining existing clubs because they were Jewish. Inspired by the Hanukkah story and yearning for Jewish valor, they named their club Maccabi.

A year earlier, in 1894, Boris Schatz unveiled his renowned sculpture "Mattathias the Hasmonean" in Paris, later dedicating it with great fanfare at a Hanukkah celebration at the Bezalel Academy of Arts in Jerusalem in 1907.

Hanukkah songs held a place of honor among melodies composed in this era of national awakening. They expressed deep identification with the Hasmoneans who rebelled against Hellenism: "We are Maccabees, and victory is ours," and "In those days, at this time—Maccabee redeems and saves." Writers skipped over centuries of history to draw a direct line between the successful Hasmonean revolt and modern-day Israel’s revival, glossing over generations of humiliation and suffering in between.

The posters in the accompanying images show how modern Zionist art styled pioneers as modern-day Maccabees, with the light of the Hanukkah candles symbolizing the journey from the darkness of exile to national rebirth in the Land of Israel.

Images courtesy of the JNF archive

🕎🏺🍩 Happy Hanukkah!
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26/12/2024

Illuminate your Chanukah with a special offer from Segula Magazine!

Give yourself the gift of a premium subscription for the price of a regular subscription. For only 23 NIS a month ($8 internationally), you'll receive a print subscription PLUS a digital subscription PLUS exclusive access to the archive of issues from the past two years!

Segula Magazine brings the rare stories of our past to life, introducing you to the people and events that shaped Jewish history. Each issue is meticulously researched, superbly written, and lavishly illustrated with photos, maps, timelines and more.

Order your premium subscription in Israel (NIS) here: https://segula.vp4.me/Chanukah-special
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View a sample issue: bit.ly/Segula_sample

24/12/2024

400 Years of Normalization
Four hundred and fourteen years ago today, on December 24, 1610, a historic peace treaty was signed between the Dutch Republic and the Sultanate of Morocco. This was an extraordinary and unprecedented alliance in the world of international relations at the time—the first-ever treaty between a Muslim kingdom and a Christian state.

The agreement established friendship, respect, and mutual understanding between the two nations. It also included a defense pact and guaranteed free movement for Moroccans visiting the Netherlands and vice versa. This treaty served the shared interests of both kingdoms and strengthened them against their common enemy—Spain.

Relations between the Netherlands and Morocco have continued undisturbed ever since, as has the steady trade between the two nations.

The mediator who orchestrated this unique agreement was a Moroccan Jewish diplomat named Don Samuel Pallache. He served as Morocco’s ambassador to the Netherlands and earned the admiration of a Dutch prince.

Pallache was born in Morocco, ordained a rabbi but progressed to trading and eventually diplomacy. His international contacts were developed as he negotiated on behalf of his patron, the Sultan of Morocco, but he soon turned to piracy, attacking Spanish ships with a fleet of Dutch caravels he commanded with his close friend, Prince Maurice of Nassau. Legend has it that he kept a cabin on his ship kitted out as a synagogue, and traveled with a Jewish cook to make sure his meat was ritually slaughtered and his meals cooked according to Jewish law.

To learn more about the colorful life of Samuel Pallache and the fascinating phenomenon of Jewish pirates, click here: https://segulamag.com/en/articles/my-son-the-pirate/

Photo: Dutch Minister Liesje Schreinemacher visiting Moroccan Minister of Science Abdellatif Miraoui, October 2023. Source: Flickr, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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18/12/2024

“Once again, I ask you—not to feel sorry about my hand.
First, even if you do, it won’t help in the slightest. Second, many people have lost both their right and left hands—and they live with it. Besides, I hope that even my one remaining right hand, with which I write this letter, will serve me well enough in life to make even those with two hands envy me.”

Thus wrote Joseph Trumpeldor to his family after a shell shattered his left hand, forcing doctors to amputate it above the elbow.

Trumpeldor recovered from his injury, requested a pistol and sword, and asked to return to his comrades in the Russian army to continue fighting against Japan. His unusual request earned him a promotion, a commendation from his commanders, and the deep admiration of the soldiers he led.

In one of the battles he fought, the Russians were defeated and Trumpeldor was taken prisoner by the Japanese. During the long months of captivity, he realized that leadership and courage were needed not only on the battlefield. He devoted himself to supporting his fellow Jewish soldiers in captivity and strengthened his commitment to Zionism, eventually creating a broad vision from which we still draw strength today.

On this National Day of Appreciation for Israel’s Wounded Soldiers and Victims of Terror (commemorated annually on 17 Kislev), we salute our heroes with gratitude and pride. They shape our future, adding more links to the powerful chain of brave Jewish heroes from Trumpeldor’s time to our own. 🫡❤

Read more about Trumpeldor’s life and impact, in an issue devoted to the Jewish struggle for independence >>
https://www.calameo.com/read/00466378210dd2cf2375c

Photos, at right: Trumpeldor’s prosthetic hand, Central Zionist Archives
At left: Trumpeldor in Russian military uniform, with his prosthetic hand resting on his sword.
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