Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Halloween Facts
62 Interesting Facts About Halloween
Halloween is now considered as a global holiday that is
celebrated by millions around the world. Given this level of popularity, you
might be wondering how it came about and what led to its development. In this
article, we delve deeper into the origins and other interesting facts about
Halloween.
1. Halloween happens every evening of the 31st of October. It
marks the start of Allhallowtide, a series of Christian holidays meant to
remember the dead such as loved ones, saints, and martyrs.
2. In several Hispanic countries, Dia de los Muertos, or Day
of the Dead, takes place from 31 October to 2 November.
3. Current Halloween customs can be traced to the pagan
traditions of ancient Celtics, particularly the festival called “Samhain” which
means summer’s end. It is part of their preparation for the gloomy winter.
4. Celtics believed that the boundary with the Otherworld is
weaker during Samhain, allowing spirits to pass through and walk among us.
People left food offerings outside their homes to appease the spirits.
5. By the 1500s, the festival began to include costumes and
house-to-house visits. Young people impersonated the spirits, recited verses,
and sang songs in exchange for food. Households obliged to receive good
fortune.
6. “Halloween” first appeared in Christian writings around
1745. It is a shortened form of the term Hallows evening, referring to the
vigils and other activities the night before All Hallows Day (also called All
Saints Day).
7. Most celebrations of saints and martyrs were held from
spring to summer. In 837, Pope Gregory IV moved All Saints Day to November 1
which coincides with Samhain. This was a practical decision to decongest Rome
from pilgrims during summers.
8. By the 1100s, the festivities included street parades with
criers in black asking people to remember the dead. Homes baked soul cakes
marked with a cross and gave these out in exchange for prayers. Shakespeare
mentioned this souling tradition in his play “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”.
9. Although most people consider Halloween as major US
holiday, it did not reach mainstream consciousness in North America until the
1800s. Mass immigration of Scottish and Irish people allowed their traditions
to flourish here.
10. New York’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is the
largest of its kind in the world. It features over 50,000 participants in
costume. Millions of spectators turn up each year to cheer them on throughout
Manhattan.
11. In the Middle Ages, Christians would carry carved out
turnips turned into lanterns while going around homes for traditional souling.
These lanterns are thought to symbolize the souls of the dead.
12. Fires, such as those burning from jack-o’-lanterns, were
thought to prevent demons from haunting homes and guide wandering souls back to
their families. People roaming during the night could also ward off evil
spirits.
13. While Ireland and Scotland preferred turnips, US
immigrants used native pumpkins instead. These were larger, softer, and easier
to access. Pumpkin carving was a common harvest time tradition before being
linked to Halloween.
14. The state of Illinois produces roughly 90 to 95% of the
USA’s pumpkins – around 500 million pounds.
15. A popular Irish folktale explains the origin of the
jack-o’-lantern. It is said to contain the soul of a person who was denied
entry to both heaven and hell, condemning him to roam forever.
16. The most jack-o’-lanterns on display at one time was
30,581 on 19 October 2013 in Keene, New Hampshire.
17. The heaviest jack-o’-lantern in the world was carved from
a massive pumpkin weighing 2,684 lbs (1,217.5 kg). This monstrous pumpkin was
grown by Italian Stefano Cutrupi and the record was set on 6 November 2021.
18. Another enduring image of the holiday is the skull. This
is a reminder of death and the fragility of life. In the Christian tradition,
it is a reference to Golgotha where Jesus was crucified.
19. Trick-or-treating comes from the medieval practice of
mumming in which costumed actors parade on the streets and perform in homes.
Aside from Hallows Eve, they also did this on other feast days like Christmas,
Shrove Tuesday, and Twelfth Night.
20. As for the term “trick or treat”, the first printed
mention was in 1927 also in Canada. It was from the newspaper Blackie Herald
based in Alberta.
21. The first recorded instance of “guising” in North America
was in 1911. A regional Canadian newspaper from Kinston, Ontario published an
article about children disguising in costume as they roam for food or coins
around their neighbourhood.
22. The city of Bathurst in Canada banned teenagers over the
age of 16 from trick-or- treating, and a citywide curfew for all residents of 8
p.m. is in place to ensure pranks and mischief was avoided. Those caught
breaking the rules are fined $200.
23. Children were often seen in Halloween postcards from the
early 1900s but they weren’t tricking or treating. The practice only became
widespread in the US during the late 1930s.
24. In rural areas where homes are spread far apart, a safer
alternative known as trunk-or- treating is often arranged. Kids can ask for
treats from decorated cars filled with goodies in a church or school parking
lot.
25. The earliest literary works on the subject comes from
Scotland where poet John Mayne wrote about the pranks and the supernatural
elements of the holiday back in 1780.
26. The Middle Ages was a difficult period for all, including
churches that did not have resources to display saintly relics. They let their
parishioners dress up as these saints and go around instead.
27. Putting on costumes for Halloween parties is an early
20th century development in North America. People poke fun at the things they
fear including ghosts and monsters. Over time, options moved beyond the
supernatural such as notable celebrities, fictional characters, and other
themes.
28. From 1909, the Dennison Manufacturing Company produced
Halloween costumes, decorations, and invitations, increasing the popularity of
Halloween.
29. In 2022, roughly 69% of Americans dressed up for and
participated in Halloween festivities.
30. Although it’s quite popular at Halloween, Silly String
has been banned in Hollywood, and if you get caught using Silly String on
Halloween, you can receive a $1,000 fine.
31. Master escape artist Harry Houdini died on Halloween of
1926 from a ruptured appendix, but many of the circumstances surrounding his
demise remain mysterious to this day.
32. Pets are part of the family so they can’t be left behind.
In 2018, Americans collectively spent roughly $480 million on Halloween
costumes for their pets. It is a massive increase from the $200 million
estimate back in 2010.
33. In Ireland, it was customary for unmarried women to gaze
into a mirror at night during Halloween to see the face of their future
husband. Sometimes a skull might appear to signify that the person will pass
away before marriage.
34. Halloween bonfires were also used to determine mortality.
After the fire dies, individuals will each place a ring of stones on the ashes.
They believed mislaid stones foretold imminent death for the associated
persons.
35. Another Irish Halloween tradition involves hiding small
items in food and serving these randomly. Fortunes depend on the item obtained.
A coin predicts wealth, a ring signifies marriage, and so on.
36. The first Halloween-themed attraction opened in 1915 in
England. It was called the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, a steam-powered
carnival fun house. It continues to be displayed as part of the Hollycombe
Steam Collection.
37. In the US, the San Mateo Haunted House began its
operation in 1957. This was soon followed by other major attractions that
proved so popular that the haunted house became a cultural phenomenon.
38. In 1984, the fatal fire at the Haunted Castle in New
Jersey led to tighter safety regulations, new building codes, and more
inspections. Smaller venues could not handle the higher expenses so many of
them folded. Bigger commercial attractions dominated.
39. The longest haunted house in the world is Dragon’s House
of Horror, which is 7,183 feet (2,189.59 meters) long. This haunted house is
located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and earned this status in November 2015.
40. By the late 1980s, famous theme parks like Six Flags,
Universal Studios, Disneyland, and Knott’s Berry Farm began to hold annual
Halloween events that draw large crowds. The decorations, attractions, and live
events are tweaked to align with the season. These contributed to the
globalization of the holiday.
41. Rhode Island plays host to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
every year and has over 6,000 jack o’lanterns. It attracts around 140,000
visitors annually.
42. Halloween comes right after the annual apple harvest in
the Northern Hemisphere. It’s no surprise that apple-based treats are popular
during the holiday. These include candy apples in which the whole fruit is
covered in sugar syrup and rolled in nuts.
43. Unfortunately, the practice of giving out candy apples
faded due to nasty rumors of dangerous embedded items. The reality is that
cases were extremely rare and usually traced to the children’s own parents
according to research from the University of Delaware.
44. It is also common to bake or order a Halloween cake with
a spooky design fit for the occasion. These usually come on black, white, and
orange but other colors may be injected as well. They often feature
jack-o’-lanterns, skulls, ghosts, cobwebs, bones, bats, and other well-known
symbols of the holiday.
45. In some Christian denominations, people are encouraged to
go on a fast or abstain from meat. This increases the demand for vegetarian
dishes such as colcannon in Ireland. It can be described as a combination of
mashed potato and kale or cabbage.
46. The annual Halloween expenditure in the United States was
projected at $8 billion in Around $2.6 billion of that went into costumes. The
average consumer will spend $92 for Halloween-related items.
47. In 2022, the money spent on Halloween candy in the US was
a scary $3.1 billion – an all time high!
48. The survey conducted by the National Retail Federation
also found that 148 million consumers planned to celebrate the holiday in 2020.
Nearly half wanted to decorate their homes and carve pumpkins.
49. In 1958, the White House was decorated for Halloween for
the first time. Mamie Eisenhower decorated the dining room and foyer with jack
o’lanterns, flower arrangements, twinkle lights, owls, black cats, goblins, and
witch heads.
50. On the 31st October 2013, Stephen Clarke of the USA
carved a pumpkin in a world record-setting time of 16.47 seconds. This was his
third time setting the record – he previously held the record at 54.72 and
24.03 seconds.
51. Pop culture has had a tremendous impact on Halloween over
the years. Gothic novels and horror films have defined our modern monsters. The
top adult costumes for 2020 were witch, vampire, ghost, cat, and Batman.
52. Horror and scary movies are especially popular around
Halloween, and made over $700 million at the US box office in 2022.
53. The 1962 song “Monster Mash” was banned by the BBC in the
UK because it was too morbid. However, when it was re-released in 1973, the
Halloween favorite became a “graveyard smash hit”.
54. The 1978 classic horror film “Halloween” is well-known
for the iconic face mask worn by Michael Myers. This famous mask was purchased
for just $2 and spraypainted and reshaped to look super creepy.
55. Disney’s 1993 movie Hocus Pocus was originally going to
be called Halloween House. It was meant to be scary rather than funny.
56. The 2017 movie “It” is the most successful horror film
ever made. The Stephen King classic grossed over $700 million worldwide.
57. Halloween sales indicate the health of the retail sector
heading into the holidays. Although Black Friday officially kicks off Christmas
shopping season, about 39% of shopper actually start before November.
58. The three most popular treats given away by households
include chocolate bars, chocolate candies, and chewy candies. Many will also
hand out gums, corn candies, and salty snacks. Lucky children may even get
toys.
59. Candy wasn’t the original fare of Halloween and
trick-or-treaters used to get anything from coins, nuts, and fruit to toys and
cake. In the 1950s, candy companies saw an opportunity to get into the market,
starting the tradition of Halloween candy.
60. The popular confection “candy corn” was created by George
Renninger in the 1880s and sold by Goelitz Confectionery Company (today it’s
called the Jelly Bean Co.). It was originally called “chicken feed” and was
sold in a box marked with a rooster.
61. Reese’s Cups are America’s favorite candy based on sales
figures in 2022. Skittles, M&Ms, and Starbursts came in close behind
Reese’s Cups.
62. Do you think that Candy is only a child’s affair? Over
86% of parents have stated that they have stolen their children’s Halloween
candy. Plus, over 50% admit to stashing Halloween candy to indulge in later in
the year.
2023 Pogroms!
The Wave of Violence Against Jewish Men, Women and Children around the World is increasing every day.
The vast majority of People committing these attacks aren’t targeting
Israeli Citizens they are targeting ALL Jews.
On October 8, 2023, an Egyptian Police Officer shot
and killed two Israeli Tourists and an Egyptian Tour Guide in Alexandria,
Egypt.
On October 8, 2023 in Madrid, Spain “Free Palestine” and a crossed-out Star of
David were spray-painted on a Synagogue.
On October 9, 2023, a Sukkah at California State
Polytechnic University, Humboldt was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti.
On October 9, 2023, Participants in a Pro-Palestinian Rally
in Sydney, Australia organized by Islamist Group Hizb ut-Tahrir, chanted
"Gas the Jews" in front of the Sydney Opera House.
On October 10, 2023 several Individuals in Melbourne,
Australia made Death Threats against Jews, one Group harassing a Rabbi and his Son,
and another asking where to find Jews, saying they were "hunting for Jews."
On October 10, 2023 in Mirandola, Italy “Viva Hamas”
and Swastikas were spray-painted on a Music School.
On October 10, 2023 in Porto, Portugal The Synagogue
in Porto was vandalized with "Free Palestine" and "End Israel Apartheid"
On October 10, 2023, a Man threw rocks through the
glass doors of a Synagogue and Cafe in Fresno, California, the second with a
note reading “All Jewish businesses will be targeted.”
On October 11, 2023, at Columbia University, a Woman
assaulted an Israeli Man with a stick after he confronted her for ripping down
posters with pictures and information about kidnapped Israelis. She has been
charged with a Hate Crime.
On October 11, 2023 a Man in Bellevue Hill, New South
Wales, Australia threatened to kill four Jewish Teenagers in a car with an
Israeli Flag draped on it. He was later arrested and charged.
On October 11, 2023, a Man was arrested for sending
threatening emails to a Synagogue in Charlotte, North Carolina.
On October 11, 2023 in Berlin, Germany Anti-Semitic Slogans,
including “Kill Jews,” and Swastikas were painted on the remains of the Berlin
Wall.
On October 11, 2023 in Bogotá, Colombia The Israeli Embassy was vandalized with
antisemitic graffiti, including slogans that equated Zionism with Nazism,
“Against Zionism” with the “s” converted to a Swastika, and a Star of David
equated with a Swastika.
On October 12, 2023 the Executive Council of
Australian Jewry received a Death Threat on Instagram, saying “We are coming
for you soon, from western Sydney” alongside an image of a Man about to be
beheaded by ISIS.
On October 12, 2023, in a televised address, French
President Emmanuel Macron warned, "Let's remember that antisemitism has
always been the precursor to other forms of hate: one day against the Jews, the
next against the Christians, then the Muslims, and then all those who are still
the target of hate due to their culture, origin or gender."
On October 12, 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland The Anti-Semitic Slogan, “Khaybar Khaybar, oh
Jew, the army of Mohammed will return,” was chanted at an Anti-Israel Demonstration.
On October 13, 2023 Three Men gave a Nazi salute
outside the Sydney Jewish Museum in Australia.
On October 13, 2023 an Israeli Employee of
the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, China was stabbed and injured.
On October 13, 2023 in British Columbia, Canada A home
of a local Rabbi was pelted with eggs and had a Nazi Symbol drawn on a window.
On October 13, 2023 in Berlin, Germany Apartment Buildings
where Jews live were marked with Stars of David.
On October 13, 2023 in Florence, Italy At the University of Florence, “Star of David
= Swastika” graffiti was spray-painted on a wall.
On October 14, 2023 20-30 Members of the Neo-Nazi
National Socialist Network marched in front of and into the Flinders Street
Railway Station in Melbourne, Australia displaying a banner reading
"Expose Jewish Power" and distributing Neo-Nazi Literature.
On October 14, 2023, a Man in New York's Grand Central
Terminal punched a Woman in the face, telling her it was because she was Jewish.
On October 14, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland A
Pro-Palestinian Protester told Jews on the street, “Don’t forget where you went
in 1940. Ha! Don’t forget where the Jews went in 1940.”
On October 15, 2023 A Cornell University Professor,
Russell Rickford, spoke at a Rally, calling the Hamas Attacks
"exhilarating". On October 21, 2023, it was announced that Rickford would be taking a
leave of absence for the remainder of the Semester.
On October 15, 2023 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
thousands of Demonstrators shouted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will
be free” – a call for Israel’s destruction,
On October 16, 2023 in London, UK A Jewish Primary School
was vandalized overnight by Someone who splashed red paint on its doors and
windows.
On October 17, 2023 in Calgary, Canada A man threw
eggs at the Holocaust Memorial Monument and at passing vehicles, while shouting
Anti-Semitic slogans.
On October 17, 2023 in Ancenis-Saint Géréon, France The
car of a Jewish Family was vandalized with a Swastika and the graffiti, “Jew.”
On October 17, 2023 in Grenoble, France A Jewish Family’s
Apartment was broken into and “Free Palestine” and Anti-Semitic graffiti were
painted on walls, including Death Threats to Jews and Swastikas.
On October 17, 2023 in Moirans, France A 17 year-old
made Anti-Semitic Death Threats against a fellow High School Student during
class and was arrested by Police.
On October 17, 2023 in Giessen, Germany Two Men went
to an Apartment where an Israeli Flag was flying from the balcony and demanded
that it be removed. When the Israeli Resident refused, he was physically
attacked, had Anti-Semitic slogans shouted at him, and his Flag and phone were
stolen.
On October 17, 2023 in Turkey The influential Yeni
Akit Daily Newspaper published an Op-Ed calling on the Turkish Government to
strip Turkey's Jews of their Citizenship.
On October 17, 2023 in Vienna, Austria. A man broke the window of a Kosher Butcher Shop
and shouted, “Allahu Akhbar!”
On October 18, 2023, the El Hamma Synagogue of El
Hamma, Tunisia, which is a Jewish Pilgrimage Site and contains the Tomb of
16th-Century Kabbalist Rabbi Yosef Ma'aravi, was severely damaged during
Anti-Jewish Riots, with hundreds of People filmed setting fire to the building.
On October 18, 2023, two Molotov Cocktails were thrown
at the Kahal Adass Jisroel Synagogue in the Mitte neighborhood of central
Berlin. One person was arrested.
On October 18, 2023, the Or Zaruah Synagogue in
Melilla, a Spanish Enclave in Morocco, was attacked by a Mob chanting
"murderous Israel" while waving Palestinian flags.
On October 18, 2023 in Concepcion, Chile “Free
Palestine. Overthrow Zionism” was spray-painted on the city’s Synagogue.
On October 19, 2023, the Illinois Comptroller's Office
fired one of its Lawyers, Sarah Chowdhury, over Anti-Semitic remarks she made
on the Instagram page of another Lawyer, who is Jewish. Chowdhury was also
fired from her position as President of the South Asian Bar Association of
Chicago.
On October 19, 2023 in Paris, France Two Men doused an
Apartment door with gasoline and set it on fire. The targeted Apartment was the only one in
the building with a Mezuza on the doorframe.
On October 20, 2023 in Lyon, France The Duchère Synagogue
was vandalized with "Victory to our Brothers in Gaza," spray-painted
by two hooded individuals in the middle of the night.
On October 20, 2023, a building next to a Jewish Fraternity
at the University of Pennsylvania was vandalized with Anti-Semitic graffiti
reading "The Jews R Nazis"
On October 20, 2023 Vienna, Austria Tw Men tore down
an Israeli Flag at the entrance to a Synagogue, while a Woman with them
imitated shooting a machine gun.
On October 20, 2023, The Guardian reported that
according to the British Metropolitan Police, there has been a 1,350% increase
in Hate Crimes against Jewish People since October 7th.
On October 21, 2023 in London, UK an Anti-Jewish Demonstration,
a Man waved a Black Flag, similar to an ISIS Flag, and shouted repeatedly,
“Islamic State” and “cursed of Allah are the infidels and Jews.”
On October 21, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain Anti-Jewish Protesters
converged on an Israeli-owned Hotel, tore down the European Flags above its
entrance and replaced them with Palestinian Flags.
On October 21, 2023 in Managua, Nicaragua Graves and a
Menorah in the Jewish Cemetery were vandalized with Nazi and Pro-Palestinian Symbols.
On October 21, 2023 in Milan, Italy Anti-Israel Protesters
shouted “Open the borders so we can kill the Jews."
On October 21, 2023 in Toronto, Canada Pro-Hamas Rally
Organizers "Toronto4Palestine" harassed Diners at Jewish-owned Cafe
Landwer and demanded a boycott of the "Zionist Cafe."
On October 22, 2023 in Bologna, Italy a “Hitler will
see you again in hell” sign was held at an Anti-Israel Demonstration.
On October 23, 2023 in Thessaloniki, Greece a Mural at
a Holocaust Memorial was defaced with “Jews = Nazis” and “Free Palestine.”
On October 23, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany A Teenager was filmed
shouting, “I want Adolf Hitler back, that’s my opinion. I’m for Hitler, for
gassing the Jews.”
On October 24, 2023 in Tann, Germany A Memorial Stone,
marking the location of a Synagogue destroyed during the 1938 Kristallnacht Pogrom,
was splashed with red paint.
On October 24, 2023 in Wolfenbuettel, Germany "Jewish
pigs" was painted on a Green Party Office.
On October 25, 2023, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
reported Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. had increased 388% since October 7th,
including Assault, Harassment, and Vandalism.
On October 25, 2023, several Jewish Students were
barricaded inside a Library at Cooper Union College while a crowd of Pro-Palestine
Protestors pounded on the doors and windows and shouted slogans.
On October 25, 2023 A Man broke into a Jewish Family's
home in Los Angeles, yelling "Free Palestine" and "Kill
Jews"
On October 25, 2023 in Bilon, Germany A Holocaust
Memorial Plaque was spray-painted with green paint.
On October 25, 2023 in The Hague, Netherlands Palestinian
fFag stickers were pasted on to a Holocaust Memorial.
On October 28, 2023 in Nurenberg, Germany “Child
Murderer” and a Star of David were spray-painted on an Israeli Restaurant.
On October 28, 2023 Residents of Khasavyurt, Dagestan
Russia, gathered near the Flamingo Hotel. The Protesters demanded that all Hotel
Residents come to the windows to look at them. When the guests did not do this,
stones were thrown into the building. Those gathered shouted "Allahu
Akbar" and demanded to check the basements and let them into the Hotel.
Russian Police arrived and allowed Protesters to check the hotel to make sure
it was "Jew-free". After this, a message was posted outside the Hotel
that Jews were prohibited from entering.
On October 29, 2023 A mob of 1,000 Anti -Semitic Protestors
stormed the Airport in Dagestan in search of Israeli Passengers from Tel Aviv calling
out “Where are the Jews?”
On October 29, 2023 An Anti-Semitic rally was held in
Cherkessk, the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia demanding "the
eviction of ethnic Jews.”
On October 29, 2023 In Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia
a local Jewish Religious National-Cultural Community Center under construction
was set on fire, with the Attackers writing "death to the Yahuds (Jews)"
on its wall.
On October 29, 2023 at Cornell University Anti-Semitic
Slogans of “Jewish People need to be killed,” “Israel deserved 10/7,” and
“eliminate Jewish living from Cornell Campus” were made at the Center for
Jewish Living.
Rise in Anti-Jewish Attacks and Pogroms since October 7,
2023:
Austria: According to the Jewish
Community of Vienna, from October 7 to October 19, there were 76 antisemitic
incidents since Oct. 7, a 300% increase.
France: According to the Minister of Interior, since October 7 there have been
819 antisemitic incidents and 414 arrests.
Germany: According to RIAS, the NGO which records antisemitic incidents in
Germany, from October 7 to October 15, there was a 240% increase of antisemitic
incidents since Oct 7, compared to the same time last year. 91% of those are
anti-Israel related antisemitism.
South Africa: According to the South African Jewish Board of Deputies,
the number of antisemitic incidents in the month of October increased 720%
compared to previous years.
UK:
According to the Jewish Community’s Security Organization, CST, since October 7
there have been 805 antisemitic incidents, an increase of 689% compared to the
same 21 day period in 2022.
These are Worldwide Pogroms and Attacks on every Jewish Man,
Woman and Child.
Every single Person (Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu,
Buddhist, Catholic, etc.) needs to stand with the Jews now more than ever against
this inhumane violence.
There is no staying silent during this. You are either part
of the Solution or part of the Anti-Jewish Pogroms!
I STAND WITH THE JEWS!
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Monday, October 30, 2023
1979 = 2023
When Iran held 52 American Diplomats Hostage from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981 (444 days) the American People banded together in a show of Patriotism.
(Iranian Students crowd the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November
4, 1979.)
When Hamas (Backed by Iran) took 229 Hostages including Americans
and Children on October 7, 2023 the
American People have not banded together in a show of Patriotism.
(Photos of the People who were kidnapped by Hamas during the
October 7th attack. Board near Tel Aviv Art Museum.)
Instead we allow the Anti-Jewish Terrorists across the United
States and the World to dictate their hate and violence on Innocent Jewish Men,
Women and Children rather than go after the true Evil in all of this - Hamas and Iran.
Don’t forget the 1,416 Foreigners and Israelis killed by Hamas
– including 32 American Citizens.
Stand By the Jews!
Bring the Hostages Home!
Protesting Russians
No! Against the Jews!
October 26th throughout Russia: Islamist Telegram channels began
publishing lists of Jewish Communities in the Region and labeling them as
"centers of the Israeli Terrorist Organization in the North.”
October 28th in Khasavyurt, Russia: Residents of Khasavyurt, Dagestan,
gathered near the Flamingo Hotel after reports that Refugees from Israel were
allegedly being accommodated there. The Protesters demanded that all hotel Residents
come to the windows to look at them. When the Guests did not do this, stones
were thrown into the building. Those gathered shouted "Allahu Akbar"
and demanded to check the basements and let them into the hotel. Police arrived
and allowed Protesters to check the Hotel to make sure it was
"Jew-free" (Russian: Юденфрай.) After this, a message was posted outside the hotel that Jews
were prohibited from entering.
October 28th in Cherkessk, Russia: An anti-Zionist Rally was held in
Cherkessk, the Capital of Karachay-Cherkessia, demanding "the eviction of
ethnic Jews Zionists".
October 29th in Nalchik, Russia: A local Zionist Jewish Religious National-Cultural
Community Center under construction was set on fire, with the attackers writing
"death to the Yahuds" on its wall. Note: “Yahud” is the Arabic Word
for “Jews.”
October 29th in Makhachkala, Russia: 1,000 Residents stormed Uytash
Airport near Makhachkala, Dagestan, after the arrival of a Red Wings flight
from Tel Aviv. Messages spread on Telegram that a direct Flight from Israel was
arriving in Dagestan, with calls to come to the Airport and prevent the plane
from landing. As indicated on the
airport website, the plane from Tel Aviv landed at 19:17 local time. After
this, dozens of Protesters stormed the Airport and reached the runway, some of
whom, according to Izvestia, managed to climb up onto the plane's wings. People
were injured, including two in critical condition and nine Police Officers. The
Passengers on the plane were unharmed. 150 suspects were identified, while 60
were arrested. The Russian Civilian Aviation Agency Rosaviatsia announced the Airport's
closure until November 6th.
In Israel, a plan is being prepared to evacuate Israelis and
Jews from Makhachkala (there are around 2,500 Jews living there.)
Throughout Russia including Moscow and Saint Petersburg there
have been many attacks (Pogroms) on Jewish Synagogues, Cultural Centers,
Businesses and Homes as well as on Jewish Men, Women and Children.
Nazi Slogans and Symbols like the Swastika (Russian: Свастика)
and “Judenrein” or Free-Of-Jews (Russian:
Юденфрай) are being used by different Russian Neo-Nazi Groups including Putin’s
Nazi Zs and Ordinary Russians in these attacks.
This is not about being Anti-War in Gaza, but Anti-Jewish.
The People carrying out these attacks and demonstrations are saying they are
against Israel, but against the Jewish People.
Putin’s Government is helping with all of these Pogroms.
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Russia's Anti-Jewish Attacks
From News Nation:
“Hundreds storm airport in Russia in antisemitic riot over
arrival of plane from Israel”
(People in the crowd walk shouting antisemitic slogans at an
airfield of the airport in Makhachkala, Russia, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. Russian
news agencies and social media say hundreds of people have stormed into the
main airport in the Dagestan region and onto the landing field to protest the
arrival of an airliner coming from Tel Aviv, Israel.)
Hundreds of people stormed into the main airport in Russia’s
Dagestan region and onto the landing field Sunday, chanting antisemitic slogans
and seeking passengers arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, Russian news
agencies and social media reported. Russian news reports said the crowd
surrounded the airliner, which belonged to Russian carrier Red Wings.
Authorities closed the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of
the predominantly Muslim region, and police converged on the facility.
Dagestan’s Ministry of Health said more than 20 people were injured, with two
in critical condition. It said the injured included police officers and
civilians.
Video on social media showed some in the crowd waving
Palestinian flags and others trying to overturn a police car. Antisemitic
slogans can be heard being shouted and some in the crowd examined the passports
of arriving passengers, apparently in an attempt to identify those who were
Israeli.
In a statement Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s office said Israel “expects the Russian law enforcement authorities
to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens and Jews wherever they may be and
to act resolutely against the rioters and against the wild incitement directed
against Jews and Israelis.” Netanyahu’s office added that the Israeli
ambassador to Russia was working with Russia to keep Israelis and Jews safe.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs for Russia’s North Caucasian
Federal District, where Dagestan is located, said that CCTV footage would be
used to establish the identities of those who stormed the airport and that
those involved would be brought to justice. While voicing support for
Palestinians in Gaza, the regional Dagestani government appealed to citizens to
remain calm and not take part in such protests. “We urge residents of the
republic to treat the current situation in the world with understanding.
Federal authorities and international organizations are making every effort to
bring about a ceasefire against Gaza civilians … we urge residents of the republic
not to succumb to the provocations of destructive groups and not to create
panic in society,” the Dagestani government wrote on Telegram.
The Supreme Mufti of Dagestan, Sheikh Akhmad Afandi, called
on residents to stop the unrest at the airport. “You are mistaken. This issue
cannot be resolved in this way. We understand and perceive your indignation
very painfully. … We will solve this issue differently. Not with rallies, but
appropriately. Maximum patience and calm for you,” he said in a video published
to Telegram. Dagestan Gov. Sergei Melikov promised consequences for anyone who
took part in the violence. “The actions of those who gathered at the
Makhachkala airport today are a gross violation of the law! … (W)hat happened
at our airport is outrageous and should receive an appropriate assessment from
law enforcement agencies! And this will definitely be done!” he wrote on
Telegram. He called the protests a “knife in the backs of those who gave their
lives for the security of the Motherland,” referring to the 1999 war in
Dagestan and troops currently fighting in Ukraine.
Russia’s civilian aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, later
reported that the airfield had been cleared, but that the airport would remain
closed to incoming aircraft until Nov. 6.
^ Putin has said that he had to go fight in Ukraine to stop
the Nazis (despite the fact that the Ukrainian President himself is Jewish) and
yet in Russia today Hundreds of Russians attacked people (ie. Jews) coming off
a plane from Israel.
Russia has always been highly Anti-Semitic (ie Anti-Jewish.)
In fact the word "Pogrom" (Russian: Погром) comes from Russia and
Official Czarist attacks against Russian Jews.
Russia forced all Jews to live in the “Pale of Settlement”
(Russian: Черта
оседлости) from 1791-1915 and even in this area Jews were attacked and murdered
on a regular basis.
In 1821 Czar Nicholas I aimed to destroy Jewish Life in the Russian Empire by
forcing all Jewish Boys from the age of 12 into the Russian Imperial Army where
they were used as Cannon Fodder especially during the Crimean War of 1853-1857.
The Czar chose the age of 12 since that is around when Puberty starts and he didn’t
want the Jewish Boys to “repopulate the Jewish Race.”
Bands of Russian Men (known as “Snatchers” went around the
Pale of Settlement to literally kidnap any Jewish Boy or Man they found and
sell they to the Russian Military.
In the 1840s the Czar created a “Jewish Tax” that
every Jewish Household had to pay the Government every year – on top of their
Regular Taxes.
In 1882 Czar Alexander III created the “May Laws”
(Russian: Майские правила) which forbade Jews from changing their place of residence
(even within the Pale of Settlement.) Meant to be temporary the Laws lasted
until 1917.
From 1882-1918 2 Million Jews from the Russian Czarist Empire
illegally fled to places like the US (they entered the United States legally,
but had to illegally flee the Russian Empire due to the May Laws.)
In 1903 the Russian Czarist Government created “The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion” (Russian: Протоколы сионских мудрецов) to
show the world the “Jewish plot for global domination.” This publication led to
increased attacks on the Jews inside the Russian Empire and around the World
from people who believed it was written by the Jews and found by the Russian Government.
The Nazi Germans also used it to help convince Germans to hate Jews.
When the Russian Empire ended with the Forced Abdication of
Czar Nicholas II in March 1917 and Democracy came to Russia all
Anti-Jewish Laws (including forcing Jews to live in the Pale of Settlement)
over the Centuries were abolished.
When the Soviet Communists took over Russia in November
1917 they enacted new Anti-Jewish Laws. This went beyond the usual
Anti-Religion Stance of the Communists (who made any Religion illegal) and
targeted Jewish Non-Religious Law.
Starting in June 1923 and ending in December 1991 all
Soviet Internal Passports (which every Soviet Citizen over 16 had to carry with
them at times) also included the Nationality of the Person (ie. Russian,
Latvian, Kazakh, Jewish, etc.)
Example: You could not be a Russian Jew. You could either be Russian or Jews. If
one of your Parents was Jewish and the other Russian then when you turned 16
you had to chose which one you would be for the rest of your life since you
weren’t allowed to change it again.
Joseph Stalin (who ruled the Soviet union from 1922-1953) was highly
Anti-Semitic.
In 1928 Stalin created the “Jewish Autonomous Oblast
(JAO)” (Russian: Еврейская автономная область) in Siberia. He hoped to force
all Soviet Jews to move to the JAO.
In the 1940s the Jews in the JAO numbered 25% of the
population. In 2021 the Jews in the JAO number 0.1% of the population.
The 1936-1938 “Great Purge” (Russian: Большой террор)
allowed Stalin to imprison and murder thousands of Soviet Jews.
The 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Stalin’s
Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi Germany brought even more Official Soviet
Anti-Jewish Laws.
During World War 2 (called the Great Patriotic War in
Russia or Великая
Отечественная война in Russian) in the Soviet Union from 1941-1945 Stalin did
little to nothing to help the Jews throughout the Soviet Union – especially those
threatened with execution in Open Pits or in Gas Chambers by the Nazis.
In 1942 Stalin declared that any Soviet Citizen that “allowed
themselves to be captured by the Germans” was a Traitor to the Soviet People.
Anyone, including Jews, that lived under Nazi Occupation was punished by the
Soviets.
From 1945-1953 Stalin sent Jewish Men, Women and Children who
had been in Nazi Concentration Camps or Death Camps to Soviet Gulags – their only
“crime” was being Jewish and “allowing themselves to be captured.”
From 1945-1991 the Soviet Communists made it illegal
to mention Jews on Holocaust and other War Memorials.
That includes a Memorial at Babyn Yar in Kyiv, the
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
where from September 29-30, 1941 the German Nazis murdered 33,771 Jewish Men,
Women and Children.
From 1948-1953 created the “Rootless Cosmopolitan
Campaign” (Russian: безродный космополит) to “weed out Jews from Soviet
Society.”
In May 1948 Stalin did allow the Soviet Union to vote
for the creation of Israel at the UN, but he made it illegal for any Soviet
Jews to go there.
In November 1948 Stalin launched an Official Campaign
against the Soviet Jews. Stalin arrested Thousands of Jewish Men, Women and
Children throughout the USSR and removed Thousands from any kind of Official
Role.
In 1948 Stalin created the “Doctors’ Plot (Russian: Дело
врачей) where he had Thousands of Jewish Doctors, Nurses and other Medical
Staff arrested saying they were plotting to kill Ordinary Soviet Citizens as
well as Soviet Government Officials.
On August 12-13, 1952, Stalin carried out the "Night
of the Murdered Poets" (Russian: Ночь казнённых поэтов), 13 of the
most prominent Yiddish Soviet Writers were executed. Among the Victims were
Peretz Markish, David Bergelson and Itzik Fefer.
On December 1, 1952 Stalin announced: "Every Jew is
the Agent of the American intelligence Service.”
In 1953 Stalin, during his “Doctors’ Plot,” he was planning
a massive Soviet Pogrom to murder Millions of Jewish Men, Women and Children.
He died in March 1953 – before he could carried out this Massacre.
From 1953 (Stalin’s Death) to 1967 (Israel’s 6 Day War) the
Soviet Government continued its Anti-Jewish Attacks, but did so more
discreetly.
In June 1967 (after Israel’s Victory during the 6 Day
War) Leonid Brezhnev severed Diplomatic Relations with Israel (they were not
restored until October 1991) and started an Official Anti-Jewish Campaign within
the Soviet Union.
From 1967 until 1991 Soviet Jews were Officially
Discriminated against throughout the USSR. There were Strict Quotas on how many
Jews to allow in Universities, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming
Officials in the Soviet Military, etc.
Many Jews were simply fired from the Jobs and not having a
Job in the USSR was a crime (called “Social Parasitism” or Тунеядство in
Russian) so they were imprisoned.
The Refusenik Movement (Russian: отказник) started at
this time. Soviet Jews decided they wanted to leave the Anti-Semitic Soviet Union.
Millions applied for Exit Visas to leave the USSR and were both denied the Exit
Visas as well as punished for trying to leave.
The United States worked hard to help the Refusenik’s. In
1974, the United States adopted the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which
provided for pressure on the USSR by banning the export of Technologies,
including dual-use (Civilian and Military). Presidents Carter and, especially,
Reagan played a major personal role in the implementation of Sanctions against
the USSR.
In 1981, the first Public Demonstrations of Soviet Neo-Nazis
took place in Kurgan, and then in Yuzhnouralsk, Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk, and
Leningrad. The Soviet Authorities allowed it on the grounds that it was only
Anti-Jewish and not Anti-Communist.
In April 1982, on Hitler's Birthday, a Group of Moscow
High School Students held a Nazi Demonstration on Pushkinskaya Square. Again,
the Soviet Authorities allowed it on the grounds that it was only Anti-Jewish
and not Anti-Communist.
The Soviet Union collapsed on December 26, 1991.
Neo-Nazism in Russia (Russian: Неонацизм в России) has flourished in modern
Russia since 1991. They Verbally and Physically Attack Jews throughout Russia
with little to no Government Intervention.
Many Russians blame the Soviet Union collapse (and the lost
of being a Super Power) on Soviet, American and Israeli Jews.
To shift focus away from the Economic and Social Issues
plaguing Russia in the 1990s – including High Crime and the emergence of the Russian
Maffia – the Russian Government blamed the Jews.
Jewish Synagogues, Libraries, Museums and Memorials were
bombed and destroyed and many Russian Jews were wounded or killed by Ordinary
Russians at this time. The Russian Authorities – especially Boris Yeltsin – allowed
these attacks as a way for the Russian People to “blow off their frustration on
somebody.”
Things became much worse for Jews after the 1998 Russian Financial
Crisis (Russian: Экономический кризис в России 1998.) The Russian Ruble’s
value fell wiping out the Savings of Ordinary Russians overnight and Russia
defaulted on its Debt.
Mass Publication of Anti-Semitic Materials in Russia began at this time
including Books such as Adolf Hitler's “Mein Kampf”, “The Protocols of the
Elders of Zion”, Douglas Reed's “The Dispute about Zion”, “The Protocols of the
Soviet Wise Men” by Grigory Klimov, “Dezionization” by Valery Yemelyanov, and
others. They had been Officially Banned by the Soviet Communists - because they were written by Czarist
Writers or Foreigners – not because they were Anti-Jewish.
High-Profile Anti-Semitic voices include Russian Public Figures
such as Nikolai Kondratenko a Russian Politician who served as Governor
of Krasnodar Krai from 1995 to 2001. He served as a Senator from 2001 to 2003
and from 2008 to 2013 He claimed the Kremlin was controlled by Jews and
Zionists, he blamed for the demise of the Soviet Communist Party, the Chechen Wars
on the Jews.
Since 2004 Vladimir Putin has officially collaborated with the Russian
Neo-Nazi Politicians and Organizations -
like the Werewolf Legion, Schultz-88, Mad Crowd, the National Socialist Party
of Russia, Saviour, White Society-88, BORN, the Wagner Group, etc. - to go after the groups Russians hate (Jews,
Ukrainians, etc.)
In January 2005, a group of 20 members of the Russian Duma
published a Statement accusing Jews of being anti-Christian, inhumane,
committing ritual murder and that "the entire democratic world today is
under the financial and political control of international Jewry."
In 2014, Putin used the same Tactics Hitler used on
Austria to Invade, Occupy and Annex Crimea, Ukraine.
In February 2022, Putin and his Nazi Z’s have been
forefront throughout Russia attacking Jews, Ukrainians, etc. inside Russia and
in Ukraine.
In late October 2023, Anti-Semitic Demonstrations and
attacks against Jewish Institutions sharply increased in the North Caucasus
region. A large crowd in the city of Hasbiurt besieged and raided a hotel,
unsuccessfully searching for Jews. In addition, an Arsonist set a Jewish Cultural
Center in Nalchik on fire. That is on top of this attack at the Airport in
Dagestan.
Botton-Line: Putin and his Nazi Zs continue the long tradition of Anti-Jewish
Attacks in Russia and in Russian-Occupied Territories. ^
Repression Victims
Repression Victims
Today is Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political
Repressions in Russia (День памяти жертв политических репрессий.) It was
officially remembered in the Soviet Union from October 30, 1991 to December 25,
1991 and in Russia since December 26, 1991.
The repressed were called the “Enemies of the People” (Враги
народа) by the Soviets. Punishments by the State included summary executions,
sending innocent people to Gulags, forced resettlement, and stripping of
Citizen's Rights. If one member of the family was found to be an “Enemy of the
People” then the whole family was considered one and punished.
Repression was conducted by the Cheka, the NKVD, the KGB and
other State Organs. While Political Repression was an everyday occurrence in
the Soviet Union - as in all Communist countries - there were special campaigns
throughout the USSR’s existence (1917-1991.)
The Red Terror (1917 to 1922): 3,284,000 people murdered.
The New Economic Period (1923-1928): 2,200,000 people murdered.
Collectivization (1928-1935): 14,400,000
people murdered.
Forced Psychiatry Treatments Part 1 (1921-1955): 1,802 people murdered.
The Great Purge (1936-1938): 4,345,000 people murdered.
Holodomor Man-Made Famine (1932-1933): 3,500,000 people murdered.
Katyn Massacre (1940): 22,000 Poles murdered.
Forced Population Transfers (1930-1952): 389,521 Kulaks murdered, 400,000
Chechens murdered, 90,000 Poles murdered, 40,000 Soviet Koreans murdered, 5,400
Estonians murdered, 17,400 Latvians murdered, 28,000 Lithuanians murdered,
18,800 Finns murdered, 20,000 Hungarians murdered, 19,000 Karachais murdered,
228,800 Soviet Germans murdered, 360,000 non-Soviet Germans murdered, 16,000
Kalmyks murdered, 23,000 Ingush murdered, 11,000 Balkars murdered, 195,471
Crimean Tatars murdered, 50,000 Meskhetian Turks murdered.
Gulags (1919-1953): 1.7 Million died as a direct result of their detention
(doesn’t include those who died from starvation, the extreme cold, forced
labor, etc.)
Forced Psychiatry Treatments Part 2 (1964-1989): Out of the 10,347 officially
punished people 96% of them were murdered through extreme usage of dangerous
chemicals and medicines.
After Joseph Stalin died in 1953 and until Nikita Khrushchev
was overthrown in 1964, the Soviet Government had a process called Legal
Rehabilitation (Юридическая реабилитация) in which innocent men, women and
children that were tortured, imprisoned and/or killed or their relatives could
apply to have them officially made full legal Soviet Citizens again (with all
the pensions and other benefits restored.
- 32 million men,
women and children were officially Rehabilitated by the Soviet Government from
1953-1964. 13 million of those were from the Russian Civil War Period
(1917-1923) alone. The vast majority of the Rehabilitated had died during their
official imprisonment.
From 1988-1991 different Soviet Republics (like the Russian
Soviet Federated Socialist Republics in April 1991) of the Soviet Union created
different Political Rehabilitation Laws. In 1993, the Russian Federation
created their first Rehabilitation Law.
- From 1993 to 2004,
the Russian Prosecutor's Office reviewed 978,891 applications for Legal
Rehabilitation of which 797,532 were allowed and 388,412 were satisfied,
636,335 cases against 901,127 people were reviewed and 634,165 were recognized
as victims of Political Repression and Legally Rehabilitated. In 2004 the
Russian Government stopped announcing official Legal Rehabilitation numbers.
That is when President Putin moved away from blaming Stalin and the USSR to
praising, promoting and rehabilitating
Stalin and the USSR.
Note: These are only the men, women and children that the
Russian Government has declassified that the Soviet Communists officially admit
to murdering from 1917-1991. The actual number is much higher. It also doesn’t
include the millions upon millions of men, women and children that the Soviet
Communists repressed and imprisoned and that survived.
.jpg)
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Returning The Names
From the Moscow Times:
“Russians Remember Stalin’s Victims Amid Crackdown on Dissent”
9People lay flowers at the monument for the victims of
political repressions in front of FSB (former KGB) headquarters in Moscow)
Russians commemorated the victims of Stalinist terror on
Sunday, more than 20 months into Moscow's Ukraine offensive that has been
accompanied at home by a major crackdown on dissent. The Kremlin has doubled
down on its version of history as troops fight in Ukraine, which often glosses
over Stalinist crimes, with public commemoration of Soviet-era repression seen
as unpatriotic.
Many Russians took part in the Returning the Names event
organized by Nobel Prize winning Memorial — a rights and historical memory
group shut down weeks before Moscow launched its 2022 military campaign. Every
year, the event sees people taking turns to read out the names of people
executed during Stalin's Terror between 1936 and 1938.
In Moscow, it is traditionally held at the Solovetsky Stone
memorial to victims, opposite the Lubyanka headquarters of the KGB, now
occupied by its modern successor FSB. But Memorial said ahead of the event that
authorities banned it from holding the commemoration on the central Lubyanka
Square. AFP reporters said the site was encircled by metal barriers, with
police gathered there.
Oleg Orlov, Memorial's co-chair recently fined for denouncing
the Ukraine campaign, still came to the stone to pay his respects. Several
Western ambassadors, including the U.S. envoy, laid flowers there. Banned from
gathering on Lubyanka, Memorial had instead organized the reading of the names
at symbolic places associated with dissidents around the Russian capital. This
year's event comes as Memorial says there is a growing number of political
prisoners in Russia. Thousands of Russians have been detained, jailed or fined
for opposing the conflict in Ukraine.
Reading of the names Memorial displayed a live video feed of the event which was
held in Russian cities and abroad on October 29 — when Russia marks Remembrance
Day of the Victims of Political Repressions. The reading of the names
was held in Russian cities including Volgograd and Siberia's Novosibirsk,
Tyumen and Irkutsk. Events were also held in European cities, where many
Russians who oppose the Kremlin's Ukraine offensive have fled to. In
Moscow, participants gathered to read the names outside the homes of late
Soviet dissidents, at a symbolic prison and in cemeteries.
Orlov read out the names of victims at the Vvedenskoye
Cemetery in northern Moscow, at the grave of one of Memorial's founders —
Soviet dissident and historian Arseny Roginsky. "It is not the first year
that authorities ban the ceremony at the Solovetsky Stone," he said. "But
it is held in many place across Russia and not only," he added, before
reading out the name of a victim. "Dmitry Kuzmich Pragin. 34 years old.
The director of the Nudolskaya textile factory. Shot on August 16, 1937, in
Moscow."
The aim of the event is to humanize and remember the hundreds
of thousands of people who were executed under Stalin's Terror. Participants
are given pieces of paper with a name of a victim, with some also reading out a
family member's name. In Moscow, people read names outside the home of writer
and Gulag survivor Varlam Shalamov and Soviet lawyer Sofiya Kalistratova, who
had defended dissidents in the 1970s. Participants also read out names outside
Moscow's Butyrka Prison — one of the capital's largest remand prisons that
dates back to the Soviet era. "Ivan Petrovich Prosevich. 56 years old.
Mechanic at a garage at the Kuybyshev factory. Shot on August 9, 1938 in
Moscow," one woman read outside the red-brick prison, Memorial's live
video showed.
^ Some brave Russians are remembering the Innocent Men, Women
and Children punished, jailed and even murdered during Stalin's 30 year
Dictatorship and they are doing so while Innocent Men, Women and Children are
being punished, jailed and even murdered by Putin in his 23 year and counting
Dictatorship. ^
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