Sunday, August 29, 2010

Today in History

The conspiracy really got off the ground.

Today in History on the Jewish date: Elul 19, from Wikipedia:
Richard I had taken the cross before his coronation (September 3, 1189). A number of the principal Jews of England presented themselves to do homage at Westminster; but there appears to have been a superstition against Jews being admitted to such a holy ceremony, and they were repulsed during the banquet which followed the coronation. The rumour spread from Westminster to the City of London that the king had ordered a massacre of the Jews; and a mob in Old Jewry, after vainly attacking throughout the day the strong stone houses of the Jews, set them on fire at night, killing those within who attempted to escape. The king was enraged at this insult to his royal dignity, but took no steps to punish the offenders, owing to their large numbers.
The dead included one of the Ba'alei Tosafos:
19 Elul - Rabeinu Yaakov of Orleans HY"D (1189), a talmid of Rabeinu Tam, he was killed in London at the coronation of Richard the Lion-hearted

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