September 9, 2005

100 YEARS AGO IN THE FORWARD

A group of Jews were shot in the middle of the main street in broad daylight in Kishinev, during the funeral of a Jewish woman who was murdered by hooligans. As the procession made its way to the cemetery, a group of local police began shooting at the mourners, killing and wounding an unknown number of them. About 50 people were arrested and imprisoned. A platoon of soldiers surrounded Kishinev’s Jewish hospital and refused to allow anyone inside.

75 YEARS AGO IN THE FORWARD

As the rabbi of Brooklyn’s Temple Petah Tikva was performing a wedding ceremony, binding Rosalie Goldstein and Bernard Belinki in holy matrimony, loud sirens were heard outside the synagogue. Just as Belinki put the ring on Goldstein’s finger and she said, “I do,” ax-wielding firemen burst in, looking for a fire. Fearing for their lives, the wedding guests all ran outside. It turned out that there was, in fact, no fire at all and that one of the wedding guests, a prankster, wanted to play a joke on the new couple.

Forty Jews are among the thousands who lost their lives in the massive hurricane that destroyed much of the Dominican Republic. There are also thousands who are now homeless and in desperate need of aid. There is a fear that malaria and other water and air-borne diseases could further ravage the population of the Caribbean island. The United States has sent ships to supply survivors with water and food.

50 YEARS AGO IN THE FORWARD

During a week in which much tit-for-tat action occurred on the border between Egypt and Israel, the United Nations has asked both countries to obey a truce between them. With the support of England, France, the United States and the Soviet Union, the U.N. has put forth a number of ideas to help the two countries maintain the peace. One is to build a fence between Gaza and Israel. Another is for the border patrols of both countries to remain a reasonable distance from the fence in order not to antagonize each other.

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