June 6, 2003
100 YEARS AGO
• “Bravo African Jews!” trumpets a headline on the Forward’s front page. The paper takes great pride in the fact that Tripoli’s Jews are refusing to pay taxes and are demanding equality with their fellow Muslim citizens. Tripoli, which is under Turkish rule, is one of the largest cities in North Africa and has a significant Jewish population. The Turkish governor placed 20 Jewish community leaders in prison after they announced that the Jews would no longer pay the special military tax that frees their sons from military service. Tripoli’s Muslims, who are not required to pay this tax, also do not serve in the Turkish military. In order to protest the incarceration of the 20 Jewish leaders, the Jews have closed all of their shops as part of a general strike.
75 YEARS AGO
• In an editorial titled “The Chutzpah of the Subway Company,” the Forward excoriates the system that provides the Transit Authority with the means to make millions of dollars at the expense of the state and millions of subway riders. Not only has the fare just been raised to 7 cents from 5 cents, but when it was challenged in court, the Transit Authority tried to get the state to pay the legal expenses. The authority is able to pay its management large salaries, but when it comes to its workers, the authority can’t find an extra penny.
• Included in a feature on Jews in sports are short profiles on Bela Gutman, David “Davey” Brown and Ernie Schwartz of the New York Giants, In other sporting news, former featherweight boxing champ Louis “Kid” Kaplan lost a split decision last week to Manuel Quintera in Madison Square Garden and the lightweight fight between Joe Glick, a boy from Williamsburg, and Carl Duane was called a draw even though nearly everyone thought Glick won the fight.
50 YEARS AGO
• Jordanian soldiers attacked trains traveling in the narrow corridor between Tel Aviv and Haifa, but were repelled by Israeli forces. Shots were also fired into a few neighborhoods. In spite of the coordinated attacks, no one was injured. A group of armed Arabs also managed to infiltrate a full seven kilometers into the northern Negev. One was shot dead after engaging an Israeli patrol; the rest escaped. In an unrelated regional matter, 18- year-old King Hussein of Jordan is said to have fallen in love with one of Ibn Saud’s 126 daughters and is expected to marry soon.
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