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(Redirected from Shfaram)
'Shefa-'Amr', also 'Shfar'am' (, ; , ) is a city in the North District in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2005 the city had a population of 32,800.
Shefa-'Amr was one of the few Arab communities in Israel to have the status of a city since the establishment of the state; other communities, even when their populations came to be numbered in the tens of thousands, had the administrative status of local council or village and had to conduct prolonged struggles to be officially recognized as cities.
The original inhabitants of Shefa-amr are unknown, but the city is known to have had Jewish inhabitants since before the Christian era. For a time it was the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrin. From the 5th century Byzantine Christians lived there, and later Muslims and Druze joined.
In the 18th century when Dhaher El-Omar took over Acre and tried making the area independent from the Turkish sultan, he made his son governor of Shefa-amr. In 1770 that son, Othman, built a large castle which is still standing. When the Turks divided the land into districts, Shefa-amr became the capital of its district.
In 1919 when Britain ruled the area, they appointed a military governor until 1948, when Israel was founded and Shefa-'Amr became a local council.
In the Roman Era, the town was known as "Shofar Am" which means the horn of a nation, it is thought that this name is derived from that of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which for a time was located in the city and was considered the nation's horn.
The Arabic story for the name is different. It is said that Amr Ibn Al-Aas, an Arab military commander was sick when he came to the area, and when he drank of its water he was healed, so his soldiers started saying in Arabic "Shofiya Omar" (Omar was healed) which is the source of the name. The Spring which Omar drank from is still standing today east-southern of the city.
Others think that its name was "Shofar-am" and it was changed to an Arabic form "Shefa-amr" in the Ottoman Period.
The fort is located in the middle of the city. it was built in 1760 by Dhaher el Omar, at the time the governor of the area, for the purpose of securing the entrance to Galilee. The fort was built on the remains of an ancient roman fort from the middle ages, the romans called it "Le Seffram".
Dhaher wanted to go as high as possible with his fort because he wanted to be able to see his brother's fort in Safed. He was able to build the first two floors but when he started on the third one he stopped apparently because he had low funds and also the low security in Galilee in that time. The first floor of the fort was a big place for the horses, the second floor was where Dhaher used to live.
Dhaher's fort is considered the biggest remain of the Zidans in Galilee.
The Byzantine period tombs are located in the middle of the city. They were the graves of the 5th and 6th century Christian community. The tomb entrances are decorated with sculptures of lions and Greek inscriptions which make mention of Jesus.
The only one of the four Towers of Shefa-amr still standing today, It was also built with defence in mind.
In the center of the city, where the Sisters of Nazareth monastery stands today, was a 4th century Christian church called St. Jacob's Church, this church is mentioned in the notes of the Christian churches historians. although the church is not still standing today ( the church of the monastery is where it was), old marble poles ,like the ones that were used to build the first churches when they were starting to spread, were found in that area. one of them is still standing in the monastery.
Main articles: Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
Shefa'-Amr is home to an old synagogue on the site of an even older structure. It is recorded as being active in 1845. During the October 2000 events, mayor Yassin stopped youth wanting to burn it down with his body. The synagogue was renovated in 2006.
According to CBS, in 2001 the religious and ethnic makeup of the city was mostly Israeli Arabs (consisting of 57.3% Muslim, 27.5% Christian, and 14.6% Druze). See Population groups in Israel.
According to CBS, in 2001 there were 14,800 males and 14,700 females. The population of the city was spread out with 45.2% 19 years of age or younger, 17.0% between 20 and 29, 21.8% between 30 and 44, 10.1% from 45 to 59, 2.1% from 60 to 64, and 3.9% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 3.2%.
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 7,114 salaried workers and 872 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 3,836, a real change of 3.4% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 4,543 (a real change of 5.3%) versus ILS 2,386 for females (a real change of -3.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 5,777. There are 507 people who receive unemployment benefits and 5,315 people who receive an income guarantee.
According to CBS, there are 16 schools and 7,299 students in the city. They are spread out as 10 elementary schools and 4,324 elementary school students, and 8 high schools and 2,975 high school students. 57.7% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.
On August 4, 2005, an AWOL Israeli Defense Force soldier, Eden Natan-Zada, opened fire while aboard a bus in the city, killing four Israeli Arab citizens and wounding twenty-two others. After the shooting, Natan-Zada was overcome by nearby crowds and lynched,and beaten with rocks.
According to witnesses, the bus driver was initially surprised to see a religious Jewish soldier making his way to Shefa-'Amr (an overwhelmingly Arab city) via public bus, so he asked Natan-Zada whether he was certain he wanted to take his current route.
The four killed victims were Hazar Turki and Dina Turki, two sisters in their early twenties, and two men, Michel Bahouth (the bus driver) and Nader Hayek. In the days following the attack, 40,000 Arabs attended mass funeral services for all of the victims in the town; two sisters were buried in an Islamic cemetery, and the two men were buried in the local Christian Catholic cemetery.
The Mayor of Shefa-'Amr held the chairmanship of the Committee of Arab Mayors in Israel (later the Arab Follow-Up Committee) for decades since the inception of this committee in 1975. It is a position of considerable prestige and also of some concrete political significance in the delicate relations between the Government of Israel and its Arab citizens, especially during times of crisis like Land Day.
Shefa-'Amr is the hometown of Knesset member Mohammad Barakeh, head of the Hadash Communists (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality), who is considered one of the most well-known and influential leaders amongst Arab Israelis.
★ Footballer Zahi Armeli
★ List of Arab localities in Israel
★ Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
'Shefa-'Amr', also 'Shfar'am' (, ; , ) is a city in the North District in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2005 the city had a population of 32,800.
Shefa-'Amr was one of the few Arab communities in Israel to have the status of a city since the establishment of the state; other communities, even when their populations came to be numbered in the tens of thousands, had the administrative status of local council or village and had to conduct prolonged struggles to be officially recognized as cities.
| Contents |
| History |
| The Name |
| Historical Places |
| The Fort |
| Byzantine tombs |
| The Tower |
| St.Jacobs Church |
| Ancient Synagogue |
| Demographics |
| Income |
| Education |
| Violence in Shefa-Amr |
| People from Shefa-Amr |
| See also |
History
The original inhabitants of Shefa-amr are unknown, but the city is known to have had Jewish inhabitants since before the Christian era. For a time it was the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrin. From the 5th century Byzantine Christians lived there, and later Muslims and Druze joined.
In the 18th century when Dhaher El-Omar took over Acre and tried making the area independent from the Turkish sultan, he made his son governor of Shefa-amr. In 1770 that son, Othman, built a large castle which is still standing. When the Turks divided the land into districts, Shefa-amr became the capital of its district.
In 1919 when Britain ruled the area, they appointed a military governor until 1948, when Israel was founded and Shefa-'Amr became a local council.
The Name
In the Roman Era, the town was known as "Shofar Am" which means the horn of a nation, it is thought that this name is derived from that of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which for a time was located in the city and was considered the nation's horn.
The Arabic story for the name is different. It is said that Amr Ibn Al-Aas, an Arab military commander was sick when he came to the area, and when he drank of its water he was healed, so his soldiers started saying in Arabic "Shofiya Omar" (Omar was healed) which is the source of the name. The Spring which Omar drank from is still standing today east-southern of the city.
Others think that its name was "Shofar-am" and it was changed to an Arabic form "Shefa-amr" in the Ottoman Period.
Historical Places
The Fort
The Fort
The fort is located in the middle of the city. it was built in 1760 by Dhaher el Omar, at the time the governor of the area, for the purpose of securing the entrance to Galilee. The fort was built on the remains of an ancient roman fort from the middle ages, the romans called it "Le Seffram".
Dhaher wanted to go as high as possible with his fort because he wanted to be able to see his brother's fort in Safed. He was able to build the first two floors but when he started on the third one he stopped apparently because he had low funds and also the low security in Galilee in that time. The first floor of the fort was a big place for the horses, the second floor was where Dhaher used to live.
Dhaher's fort is considered the biggest remain of the Zidans in Galilee.
Byzantine tombs
Byzantine period tombs
The Byzantine period tombs are located in the middle of the city. They were the graves of the 5th and 6th century Christian community. The tomb entrances are decorated with sculptures of lions and Greek inscriptions which make mention of Jesus.
The Tower
The only one of the four Towers of Shefa-amr still standing today, It was also built with defence in mind.
The Tower
St.Jacobs Church
In the center of the city, where the Sisters of Nazareth monastery stands today, was a 4th century Christian church called St. Jacob's Church, this church is mentioned in the notes of the Christian churches historians. although the church is not still standing today ( the church of the monastery is where it was), old marble poles ,like the ones that were used to build the first churches when they were starting to spread, were found in that area. one of them is still standing in the monastery.
Ancient Synagogue
Main articles: Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
Shefa'-Amr is home to an old synagogue on the site of an even older structure. It is recorded as being active in 1845. During the October 2000 events, mayor Yassin stopped youth wanting to burn it down with his body. The synagogue was renovated in 2006.
Demographics
According to CBS, in 2001 the religious and ethnic makeup of the city was mostly Israeli Arabs (consisting of 57.3% Muslim, 27.5% Christian, and 14.6% Druze). See Population groups in Israel.
According to CBS, in 2001 there were 14,800 males and 14,700 females. The population of the city was spread out with 45.2% 19 years of age or younger, 17.0% between 20 and 29, 21.8% between 30 and 44, 10.1% from 45 to 59, 2.1% from 60 to 64, and 3.9% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 3.2%.
Income
According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 7,114 salaried workers and 872 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 3,836, a real change of 3.4% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 4,543 (a real change of 5.3%) versus ILS 2,386 for females (a real change of -3.3%). The mean income for the self-employed is 5,777. There are 507 people who receive unemployment benefits and 5,315 people who receive an income guarantee.
Education
According to CBS, there are 16 schools and 7,299 students in the city. They are spread out as 10 elementary schools and 4,324 elementary school students, and 8 high schools and 2,975 high school students. 57.7% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.
Violence in Shefa-Amr
On August 4, 2005, an AWOL Israeli Defense Force soldier, Eden Natan-Zada, opened fire while aboard a bus in the city, killing four Israeli Arab citizens and wounding twenty-two others. After the shooting, Natan-Zada was overcome by nearby crowds and lynched,and beaten with rocks.
According to witnesses, the bus driver was initially surprised to see a religious Jewish soldier making his way to Shefa-'Amr (an overwhelmingly Arab city) via public bus, so he asked Natan-Zada whether he was certain he wanted to take his current route.
The four killed victims were Hazar Turki and Dina Turki, two sisters in their early twenties, and two men, Michel Bahouth (the bus driver) and Nader Hayek. In the days following the attack, 40,000 Arabs attended mass funeral services for all of the victims in the town; two sisters were buried in an Islamic cemetery, and the two men were buried in the local Christian Catholic cemetery.
People from Shefa-Amr
The Mayor of Shefa-'Amr held the chairmanship of the Committee of Arab Mayors in Israel (later the Arab Follow-Up Committee) for decades since the inception of this committee in 1975. It is a position of considerable prestige and also of some concrete political significance in the delicate relations between the Government of Israel and its Arab citizens, especially during times of crisis like Land Day.
Shefa-'Amr is the hometown of Knesset member Mohammad Barakeh, head of the Hadash Communists (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality), who is considered one of the most well-known and influential leaders amongst Arab Israelis.
★ Footballer Zahi Armeli
See also
★ List of Arab localities in Israel
★ Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
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