Jerusalem : Compass of the Diaspora Jew
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Yahrtzeit of Israel Bak (1797-1874), a pioneer of book printing in modern Israel. In the 16th century, six books had been printed in the northern town of Tzfat. It would be 245 years until another Hebrew book was published in the Holy Land, when Bak moved from the Ukraine to Israel. He established a Hebrew press in Tzfat and published a Siddur and the Book of Leviticus with commentaries. An earthquake destroyed his print shop in 1837, and a Druze revolt the following year destroyed his press once again. Bak then moved to Jerusalem in 1841 where he established the first Hebrew press ever in the holy city.