Lazarus Aaronson (18 February 1895 – 9 December 1966) was a British poet and a lecturer in economics. As a young man, he belonged to a group of Jewish friends who are today known as the Whitechapel Boys, many of whom later achieved fame as writers and artists. His diction and verbal energy have been compared to those of his more renowned and innovative Whitechapel friend, Isaac Rosenberg. Reviewers have traced influences in Aaronson's poetry from the English poet John Keats and from Hebrew poets such as Shaul Tchernichovsky and Zalman Shneur. Aaronson lived most of his life in London and spent much of his working life as a lecturer in economics at the City of London College. In his twenties, he converted to Christianity; a large part of his poetry focused on his conversion and spiritual identity as a Jew and an Englishman. He published three collections of poetry: Christ in the Synagogue (1930), Poems (1933), and The Homeward Journey and Other Poems (1946). Although he did not achieve widespread recognition, Aaronson gained a cult following of dedicated readers.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_Aaronson

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1268:

A coalition of Russian medieval states defeated the Livonian Brothers of the Sword at the Battle of Wesenberg near present-day Rakvere, Estonia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wesenberg_(1268)

1873:

Vasil Levski, the national hero of Bulgaria, was executed in Sofia by Ottoman authorities for his efforts to establish an independent Bulgarian republic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasil_Levski

1932:

The Empire of Japan established Manchukuo, a puppet state in northeastern China during the Sino-Japanese War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchukuo

1943:

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, delivered the "total war speech" to motivate the German people when the tide of World War II was turning against Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportpalast_speech

2013:

Eight gunmen stole approximately US$50,000,000 worth of diamonds from a Swiss-bound aircraft at Brussels Airport, Belgium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels_Airport_diamond_heist

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

nepoticide: 1. (countable, uncountable) The killing of one's own nephew. 2. (countable) One who kills his or her own nephew. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nepoticide

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The essence of our God is obscure. It ripens continuously; perhaps victory is strenghened with our every valorous deed, but perhaps even all these agonizing struggles toward deliverance and victory are inferior to the nature of divinity. Whatever it might be, we fight on without certainty, and our virtue, uncertain of any rewards, acquires a profound nobility.   --Nikos Kazantzakis https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nikos_Kazantzakis