1250- The Pope refused to grant permission to the Jews of Cordova, Spain, to build a new shul.
1427- The Jews of Berne, Switzerland were expelled. Berne had a long history of expulsions and anti-Jewish riots. Jews have wandered and settled in over 100 lands on five continents. Throughout the Middle Ages, Jews were subject to frequent expulsions. And amazingly, 90 percent of Jewish families were uprooted in the 20th century -- with mass immigration to America and Israel, and the tragic Holocaust. This is prophesied in Leviticus 26:33: "I will scatter you among the nations..." Yet amidst it all, the Jewish people have miraculously maintained their distinct national identity.
May 4, 1727- A few months prior to her death, Empress Catherine I of Russia expelled the Jews from the Ukraine. (possibly on 15 Iyar?)
May 20, 1883- Rostov-on-Don, Russia, was home to 14 synagogues and many communal institutions. With the encouragement of local Russian officials, a wave of anti-Jewish riots (pogroms) swept the city. (possibly on 15 Iyar?)
April 26, 1945- Marshall Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France’s Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.