Shefa-'Amr
Encyclopedia
Shefa-'Amr, also Shfar'am is a predominantly Arab
city in the North District of Israel
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
(CBS), at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 35,300.
, which for a time was located in the city and was considered the nation's horn. Alternatively, the name could be based on the literary Hebrew word shefer שפר, meaning "beauty" or "goodness", i.e. "the beauty of the people". According to a popular Arab legend, the Arab general Amr Ibn Al-Aas was cured of an illness after drinking the local water. Upon seeing their commander's recovery, his soldiers cheered "Shofiya Amr" (Arabic for "Amr was healed"), and that was the source of the name. The spring from which he allegedly drank is located southeast of the city. Others allege that the name "Shfar-am" was changed to an Arabic form "Shefa-'Amr" in the Mamluk period.
ites. Shefa-'Amr is mentioned in the Talmud
as one of the cities that contained the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrin
. It is again mentioned in connection with Jewish revolts against the Romans, and Jewish graves and remains in caves dating to the Roman era of rule in Palestine
have been found there.
Shefa-'Amr contains Byzantine
remains, including remains of a church and tombs. Under the Crusader
s the place was known as Safran, Sapharanum, Castrum Zafetanum, Saphar castrum or Cafram. The village (called "Shafar Am) was used, between 586-590 H., by Saladin
as a military base for attacs on Acre
. By 1229, the place was back in Crusader hands, and it was confirmed as such by Sultan Baybars in the peace treaty of 1271 C.E. (670 H.), and by Qulawun in 1283. However, it apparently came under Mamluk
control in 1291 C.E.
During early Ottoman rule in Palestine, in 1564 C.E., the revenues of the village of Shefa-'Amr were designated for the new waqf
of Hasseki Sultan Imaret
in Jerusalem, established by Hasseki Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana
), the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent
. A firman dated 981 H. (1573 C.E.) mention that Shefa-'Amr was among a group of villages in nahiya of Akka
which had rebelled against the Ottoman administration. By 1577 C.E. the village had accumulated an arsenal of 200 muskets. In the 1596 daftar, Shefa-'Amr was part of the nahiya (subdistrict) of Akka
with a population of 91 households ("khana"). The taxable produce comprised "occasional revenues" and "goats and beehives". Its inhabitants also paid for the use or ownership of an oil press.
It was not until the eighteenth century that the village rose to real prominence. At the beginning of the century the village was under control of Shaykh Ali Zaydani, uncle of DahEr el-Omar
and leading shaykh of lower Galilee
. It is also known that there was a castle in the village at least as early as 1740. After Daher al-Omar's rise to power in the 1740s, Ali Zaydani was replaced with his nephew, Uthman; a brother of Daher el-Omar. After el-Omar's death in 1775, Jezzar Pasha
allowed Uthman to continue as a ruler of Shefa-'Amr in return for a promise of loyalty and advance payment of taxes. Jezzar Pasha allowed the fortress to remain intact despite orders from Constantinople
that it should be destroyed. Several years later Uthman was removed and replaced with Ibrahim Abu Qalush, an appointee of Jezzar Pasha
.
During this period Shefa-'Amr was a regional centre of some importance due to its location in the heart of the cotton
growing area and its natural and man-made defenses. The significance of cotton to the growth of Shefa-'Amr is fundamental. Tax returns for the village attest to the large returns expected of this crop.
Shefa-'Amr is an ancient city located in the North District in Israel
at the entrance to Galilee
. It is located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the Mediterranean Sea and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from each of three cities, Haifa
, Acre
and Nazareth
, where many of the inhabitants are employed. The city is located on seven hills, which gives it the name "Little Rome". The elevation of the city and its strategic location as the connection between the valleys and mountains of Galilee
made it more than once the center of its district, especially in the period of Otman the son of Dhaher al-Omar, who built a castle in it, and towers around it. If you stand in a high spot in the city you can see a great view: the bay of Haifa
with the sea stretching between Haifa
and Acre
in the west, and in other directions the high mountains of Galilee
and the valleys surrounding the city.
According to Ynetnews, in January 2008, Mayor Ursan Yassin met with officials of the Israeli state committee on the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of independence, and announced that Shefa-'Amr intended to take part in the celebrations. He stated: "This is our country and we completely disapprove of the statements made by the Higher Monitoring Committee. I want to hold a central ceremony in Shefa-'Amr, raise all the flags and have a huge feast. The 40,000 residents of Shefa-'Amr feel that they are a part of the State of Israel...The desire to participate in the festivities is shared by most of the residents. We will not raise our children to hate the country. This is our country and we want to live in coexistence with its Jewish residents."
In 2011, 7,000 Christian, Druze and Muslims held a solidarity march in support of Christians in Iraq and Egypt who are suffering from religious persecution.
of Safad. It had a population of 83 Christian households and 8 bachelors. No Jews were noted, but there had been a very small number mentioned in the early decades of that century. The next definite indication of a Jewish presence was in the 18th century.
Finn reported wrote in 1877 that "The majority of the inhabitants are Druses. There are a few Moslems and a few Christians
; but [in 1850] there were thirty Jewish families living as agriculturists, cultivating grain and olives on their own landed property, most of it family inheritance; some of these people were of Algerine descent. They had their own synagogue and legally qualified butcher, and their numbers had formerly been more considerable." But "they afterwards dwindled to two families, the rest removing to [Haifa] as that port rose in prosperity." Conder and Kitchener, who visited in 1875, was told that the community consisted of "2,500 souls—1,200 being Moslems, the rest Druses, Greeks, and Latins."
At the time of the 1922 census of Palestine, Shafa Amr had a population of 1263 Christians, 623 Muslims, and 402 Druses. By the 1931 census
, it had 629 occupied houses and a population of 1321 Christians, 1006 Muslims, 496 Druses, and 1 Jew. A further 1197 Muslims in 234 occupied houses was recorded for "Shafa 'Amr Suburbs". Statistics compiled by the Mandatory government in 1945 showed an urban population of 1560 Christians, 1380 Muslims, 10 Jews and 690 "others" (presumably Druses) and a rural population of 3560 Muslims.
In 1951, the population was 4450, of whom about 10% were refugees from other villages. During the early 1950s, about 25,000 dunams of the land of Shefa Amr was expropriated by the following method: the land was declared a closed military area, then after enough time had passed for it to have become legally "uncultivated", the Minister of Agriculture used his powers to "ensure that it was cultivated" by giving it to neighboring Jewish communities. Some of the land was owned by Jews. Another 7,579 dunams was expropriated in 1953-4. The total land holdings of the village fell from 58,725 dunams in 1945 to 10,371 dunams in 1962.
Shfar'am's diverse population drawn from several different communities gives the city a relatively cosmopolitan and multi-cultural ambiance.
According to CBS, in 2009 the religious and ethnic makeup of the city was mostly Israeli Arabs (consisting of 59.5% Muslim
, 26.3% Christian
, and 14.3% Druze
). According to CBS, in 2009 there were 35,300 registered citizens in the city. The population of the city was spread out with 44.3% 19 years of age or younger, 15% between 20 and 29, 21.9% between 30 and 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% 65 years of age or older.
Population in Shefa-'Amr over the years:
has built a public computer center, a public library, a large events hall and more.
Beit almusica conservatory was founded in 1999 by musician Aamer Nakhleh in the center of Shefa-'Amr. It offers a year-round programs of music studies in various instruments, and holds music performances and concerts. Every year Shefa-'Amr holds a music festival known as the "Fort Festival." Arab children from all over the country compete in singing classic Arabic songs and one is chosen as "Best voice of the year." The Ba'ath choir, established by Raheeb Haddad, performs all over the country and participates in many international events. Singer Reem Talhami gives concerts all over the Arab world and Tayseer Elias is a leading musician and violin player. Butrus Lusia, a painter, specializes in icons for Christian churches.
The first plays in Shefa-'Amr were performed in the 1950s by the Christian scouts. Since the 1970s, many theaters have opened. among them the sons of Shefa-A'mr theater, Athar theater, house of the youth theater, Alghurbal Al Shefa-'Amry theater and Al Ufok theater. The largest theater in the city is the Ghurbal Establishment which is a national Arab theater. Sa'eed Salame, an actor, comedian and pantomimist, established an 3-day international pantomime festival that is held annually.
Shefa-'Amr is known for its mastic
-flavored ice cream, bozet Shefa-'Amr. The Nakhleh Coffee Company is the leading coffee producer in Israel's Arab community.
New restaurant-cafes have been opened in parts of the old city; those places are becoming the main cafes the youth of Shefa-Amr choose to spend their free time and special occasions in. Awt Cafe started holding musical nights where local singers and instruments players like Oud
and others play for the crowd of visitors. Being a new trend in the city these nights are becoming a great success and the cafe in those nights is always full of people who come to enjoy a cultural night with their friends and families.
, 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, lynched and beaten with rocks. According to witnesses, the bus driver was surprised to see a kippah-wearing Jewish soldier making his way to Shefa-'Amr via public bus, so inquired of Natan-Zada whether he was certain he wanted to take his current route. The four fatalities were Hazar 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 people attended mass funeral services for the victims. The sisters were buried in an Islamic cemetery and the men were buried in the Christian Catholic cemetery. The wounded were taken to Rambam Hospital
in Haifa
.
The Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
is an old synagogue on the site of an even older structure. It is recorded as being active in 1845. A Christian resident of the town holds the keys. The synagogue was renovated in 2006. The tomb of Rabbi Judah ben Baba
, a well-known rabbi from the 2nd century who was captured and executed by the Romans, is still standing and many Jewish believers come to visit it.
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
.
In the center of the city, where the Sisters of Nazareth convent
stands today, was a 4th century church called St. Jacob's Church. This church is mentioned in the notes of Christian church historians, although the church is not still standing today (the church of the monastery is where it was). Some marble columns remain, like those used to build the earliest churches.
St. Peter & St. Paul Church
is located in one of the town's peaks near the fort, it has a high bell tower and a large purple dome. The church was built by Otman, who made a promise to build it if his fort was finished successfully, so its history goes back to that of the fort. The walls of the church started to get weak so in 1904 the whole church was strengthened and improved. It remains standing today and is the main church of the Greek Catholic community of Shefa-'Amr.
Mosque of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Old Mosque) built near the castle in the days of Suleiman Pasha.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
city in the North District of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli government office established in 1949 to carry out research and publish statistical data on all aspects of Israeli life, including population, society, economy, industry, education and physical infrastructure.It is headed by a...
(CBS), at the end of 2009 the city had a population of 35,300.
Etymology
In the Roman Era, the town was known as "Shofar Am", Hebrew for "horn of a nation". It is thought that this name is derived from that of the Jewish SanhedrinSanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
, which for a time was located in the city and was considered the nation's horn. Alternatively, the name could be based on the literary Hebrew word shefer שפר, meaning "beauty" or "goodness", i.e. "the beauty of the people". According to a popular Arab legend, the Arab general Amr Ibn Al-Aas was cured of an illness after drinking the local water. Upon seeing their commander's recovery, his soldiers cheered "Shofiya Amr" (Arabic for "Amr was healed"), and that was the source of the name. The spring from which he allegedly drank is located southeast of the city. Others allege that the name "Shfar-am" was changed to an Arabic form "Shefa-'Amr" in the Mamluk period.
History
Archaeological research in Shefa-'Amr indicates that the area has been inhabited for centuries. It is unclear who the early inhabitants were, although they may have been CanaanCanaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ites. Shefa-'Amr is mentioned in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
as one of the cities that contained the seat of the Jewish Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
. It is again mentioned in connection with Jewish revolts against the Romans, and Jewish graves and remains in caves dating to the Roman era of rule in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
have been found there.
Shefa-'Amr contains Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
remains, including remains of a church and tombs. Under the Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
s the place was known as Safran, Sapharanum, Castrum Zafetanum, Saphar castrum or Cafram. The village (called "Shafar Am) was used, between 586-590 H., by Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
as a military base for attacs on Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
. By 1229, the place was back in Crusader hands, and it was confirmed as such by Sultan Baybars in the peace treaty of 1271 C.E. (670 H.), and by Qulawun in 1283. However, it apparently came under Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
control in 1291 C.E.
During early Ottoman rule in Palestine, in 1564 C.E., the revenues of the village of Shefa-'Amr were designated for the new waqf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
of Hasseki Sultan Imaret
Hasseki Sultan Imaret
Hasseki Sultan Imaret was an Ottoman public soup kitchen established in Jerusalem to feed the poor during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent...
in Jerusalem, established by Hasseki Hurrem Sultan (Roxelana
Roxelana
Haseki Hürrem Sultan was the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire.-Names:Sixteenth-century sources are silent as to her maiden name, but much later traditions, for example Ukrainian folk traditions first recorded in the 19th century, give it as "Anastasia" , and Polish...
), the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
. A firman dated 981 H. (1573 C.E.) mention that Shefa-'Amr was among a group of villages in nahiya of Akka
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
which had rebelled against the Ottoman administration. By 1577 C.E. the village had accumulated an arsenal of 200 muskets. In the 1596 daftar, Shefa-'Amr was part of the nahiya (subdistrict) of Akka
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
with a population of 91 households ("khana"). The taxable produce comprised "occasional revenues" and "goats and beehives". Its inhabitants also paid for the use or ownership of an oil press.
It was not until the eighteenth century that the village rose to real prominence. At the beginning of the century the village was under control of Shaykh Ali Zaydani, uncle of DahEr el-Omar
Daher El-Omar
Daher el-Omar was the Arab-Bedouin ruler of the Galilee district of the southern Levant during the mid-18th century...
and leading shaykh of lower Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
. It is also known that there was a castle in the village at least as early as 1740. After Daher al-Omar's rise to power in the 1740s, Ali Zaydani was replaced with his nephew, Uthman; a brother of Daher el-Omar. After el-Omar's death in 1775, Jezzar Pasha
Jezzar Pasha
Ahmed al-Jazzar was the Ottoman ruler of Acre and the Galilee from 1775 until his death.-Biography:...
allowed Uthman to continue as a ruler of Shefa-'Amr in return for a promise of loyalty and advance payment of taxes. Jezzar Pasha allowed the fortress to remain intact despite orders from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
that it should be destroyed. Several years later Uthman was removed and replaced with Ibrahim Abu Qalush, an appointee of Jezzar Pasha
Jezzar Pasha
Ahmed al-Jazzar was the Ottoman ruler of Acre and the Galilee from 1775 until his death.-Biography:...
.
During this period Shefa-'Amr was a regional centre of some importance due to its location in the heart of the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
growing area and its natural and man-made defenses. The significance of cotton to the growth of Shefa-'Amr is fundamental. Tax returns for the village attest to the large returns expected of this crop.
Geography
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
at the entrance to Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
. It is located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the Mediterranean Sea and 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from each of three cities, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
and Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, where many of the inhabitants are employed. The city is located on seven hills, which gives it the name "Little Rome". The elevation of the city and its strategic location as the connection between the valleys and mountains of Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
made it more than once the center of its district, especially in the period of Otman the son of Dhaher al-Omar, who built a castle in it, and towers around it. If you stand in a high spot in the city you can see a great view: the bay of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
with the sea stretching between Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
and Acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
in the west, and in other directions the high mountains of Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
and the valleys surrounding the city.
Politics and local government
Ibraheem Nimr Hussein, a former mayor of Shefa-'Amr, was chairman of the Committee of Arab Mayors in Israel (later the Arab Follow-Up Committee) from its inception in 1975.According to Ynetnews, in January 2008, Mayor Ursan Yassin met with officials of the Israeli state committee on the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of independence, and announced that Shefa-'Amr intended to take part in the celebrations. He stated: "This is our country and we completely disapprove of the statements made by the Higher Monitoring Committee. I want to hold a central ceremony in Shefa-'Amr, raise all the flags and have a huge feast. The 40,000 residents of Shefa-'Amr feel that they are a part of the State of Israel...The desire to participate in the festivities is shared by most of the residents. We will not raise our children to hate the country. This is our country and we want to live in coexistence with its Jewish residents."
In 2011, 7,000 Christian, Druze and Muslims held a solidarity march in support of Christians in Iraq and Egypt who are suffering from religious persecution.
Demographics
In 1596, Shafa'amr appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Akka of the LiwaLiwa (arabic)
Liwa or Liwa is an Arabic term meaning district, banner, or flag, a type of administrative division. It was interchangeable with the Turkish term "Sanjak" in the time of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the empire, the term was used in the Arab countries formerly under Ottoman rule...
of Safad. It had a population of 83 Christian households and 8 bachelors. No Jews were noted, but there had been a very small number mentioned in the early decades of that century. The next definite indication of a Jewish presence was in the 18th century.
Finn reported wrote in 1877 that "The majority of the inhabitants are Druses. There are a few Moslems and a few Christians
Palestinian Christians
Palestinian Christians are Arabic-speaking Christians descended from the people of the geographical area of Palestine. Within Palestine, there are churches and believers from many Christian denominations, including Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic , Protestant, and others...
; but [in 1850] there were thirty Jewish families living as agriculturists, cultivating grain and olives on their own landed property, most of it family inheritance; some of these people were of Algerine descent. They had their own synagogue and legally qualified butcher, and their numbers had formerly been more considerable." But "they afterwards dwindled to two families, the rest removing to [Haifa] as that port rose in prosperity." Conder and Kitchener, who visited in 1875, was told that the community consisted of "2,500 souls—1,200 being Moslems, the rest Druses, Greeks, and Latins."
At the time of the 1922 census of Palestine, Shafa Amr had a population of 1263 Christians, 623 Muslims, and 402 Druses. By the 1931 census
1931 census of Palestine
The 1931 census of Palestine was the second census carried out by the authorities of the British Mandate of Palestine. It was carried out on 18 November 1931 under the direction of Major E. Mills. The first census had been conducted in 1922...
, it had 629 occupied houses and a population of 1321 Christians, 1006 Muslims, 496 Druses, and 1 Jew. A further 1197 Muslims in 234 occupied houses was recorded for "Shafa 'Amr Suburbs". Statistics compiled by the Mandatory government in 1945 showed an urban population of 1560 Christians, 1380 Muslims, 10 Jews and 690 "others" (presumably Druses) and a rural population of 3560 Muslims.
In 1951, the population was 4450, of whom about 10% were refugees from other villages. During the early 1950s, about 25,000 dunams of the land of Shefa Amr was expropriated by the following method: the land was declared a closed military area, then after enough time had passed for it to have become legally "uncultivated", the Minister of Agriculture used his powers to "ensure that it was cultivated" by giving it to neighboring Jewish communities. Some of the land was owned by Jews. Another 7,579 dunams was expropriated in 1953-4. The total land holdings of the village fell from 58,725 dunams in 1945 to 10,371 dunams in 1962.
Shfar'am's diverse population drawn from several different communities gives the city a relatively cosmopolitan and multi-cultural ambiance.
According to CBS, in 2009 the religious and ethnic makeup of the city was mostly Israeli Arabs (consisting of 59.5% Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, 26.3% Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and 14.3% Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
). According to CBS, in 2009 there were 35,300 registered citizens in the city. The population of the city was spread out with 44.3% 19 years of age or younger, 15% between 20 and 29, 21.9% between 30 and 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% 65 years of age or older.
Population in Shefa-'Amr over the years:
Economy
According to the CBS, as of the year 2000, there were 7,114 salaried and 872 self-employed workers in the city . The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city was ILS 3,836. Salaried males had a mean monthly wage of ILS 4,543 versus ILS 2,386 for females. The mean income for the self-employed was 5,777. 507 people received unemployment benefits and 5,315 received an income guarantee.Education and culture
In 2007, there were 23 schools catering to a student population of 9,140: 11 elementary schools with 5,233 students and 12 high schools with 3,907 students. In 2001, 57.7% of twelfth grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate. In the eastern part of the city, Mifal HaPayisMifal HaPayis
Mifal HaPayis is the national lottery of Israel. Gambling is illegal in Israel. The only body licensed to provide betting services is Mifal Hapayis. -History:...
has built a public computer center, a public library, a large events hall and more.
Shefa-'Amr is known for its mastic
Mastic (plant resin)
Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree . In pharmacies and Nature shops it is called "arabic gum" and "Yemen gum". In Greece it is known as the "tears of Chios," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins is produced in "tears" or droplets...
-flavored ice cream, bozet Shefa-'Amr. The Nakhleh Coffee Company is the leading coffee producer in Israel's Arab community.
New restaurant-cafes have been opened in parts of the old city; those places are becoming the main cafes the youth of Shefa-Amr choose to spend their free time and special occasions in. Awt Cafe started holding musical nights where local singers and instruments players like Oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
and others play for the crowd of visitors. Being a new trend in the city these nights are becoming a great success and the cafe in those nights is always full of people who come to enjoy a cultural night with their friends and families.
Arab-Israeli conflict
On August 4, 2005, an AWOL Israeli Defense Force soldier, Eden Natan-ZadaEden Natan-Zada
Eden Natan-Zada was an Israeli terrorist who was born to a Jewish family that immigrated to Israel from Iran. He was an AWOL Israeli soldier who opened fire in a bus in Shefa-Amr in northern Israel on 4 August 2005, killing four Arab citizens of Israel and wounding twelve others. He was restrained,...
, 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, lynched and beaten with rocks. According to witnesses, the bus driver was surprised to see a kippah-wearing Jewish soldier making his way to Shefa-'Amr via public bus, so inquired of Natan-Zada whether he was certain he wanted to take his current route. The four fatalities were Hazar 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 people attended mass funeral services for the victims. The sisters were buried in an Islamic cemetery and the men were buried in the Christian Catholic cemetery. The wounded were taken to Rambam Hospital
Rambam Hospital
Rambam Health Care Campus , or Rambam Hospital, is a hospital in the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa, Israel. The largest medical center in northern Israel and fifth largest in Israel, it is named for the 12th century physician-philosopher Rabbi Moshe Ben-Maimon , known as the...
in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
.
Landmarks and religious sites
- A fort was built in 1760 by the Ottoman the son of the OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
ruler Daher al-Omar, at the time the governor of the area, for the purpose of securing the entrance to Galilee. The fort was built on remains of a CrusaderCrusadesThe Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
fort called "Le Seffram". The first floor of the fort was for the horses, the second floor was where Dhaher lived. Daher's fort is considered the biggest remain of the Zidans in Galilee. After the establishment of the state, the fort was used as a police station. After a new station was built in the "Fawwar" neighbourhood, it was renovated and converted to a youth center club, which has since closed down.
- "The Tower" or "al Burj" is an old Crusader fort located in the southern part of the city.
- The old market of Shefa-'Amr was once the bustling heart of the city. Now all that remains is one coffee shop where elderly men gather every day to play backgammon and drink Arab coffee. According to the mayor of Shefa-Amr, Nahed Khazem, the government has provided a budget for improving and reviving the old market and turning the area around the fort into a tourist attraction.
The Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
Shfaram Ancient Synagogue
The Shfaram synagogue is located in the Israeli-Arab city of Shfaram, Northern Israel.Record of a synagogue in Shfaram dates to the mid-18th century when Bedouin chieftain Dhaher al-Omar gave permission to the Jews to return and renovate the ancient house of prayer there.Shfaram was noted in 1845...
is an old synagogue on the site of an even older structure. It is recorded as being active in 1845. A Christian resident of the town holds the keys. The synagogue was renovated in 2006. The tomb of Rabbi Judah ben Baba
Judah ben Baba
Judah ben Baba was a rabbi in the 2nd century who ordained a number of rabbis at a time when the Roman government forbade this ceremony. The penalty was execution for the ordainer and the new rabbis. The rabbis ordained by Rabbi Judah ben Baba include Judah ben Ilai. Rabbi Judah ben Baba was killed...
, a well-known rabbi from the 2nd century who was captured and executed by the Romans, is still standing and many Jewish believers come to visit it.
Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
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
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
In the center of the city, where the Sisters of Nazareth convent
Sisters of Nazareth convent - Shefa-Amr
The Sisters of Nazareth convent is a monastery located in the city of Shefa-Amr, Israel.- History :In the year 1857, after the citizens of Shefa-Amr saw how much the Sisters of Nazareth convent in Nazareth has helped the people of that city, they contacted one of its sisters called sister Hilo...
stands today, was a 4th century church called St. Jacob's Church. This church is mentioned in the notes of Christian church historians, although the church is not still standing today (the church of the monastery is where it was). Some marble columns remain, like those used to build the earliest churches.
St. Peter & St. Paul Church
St. Peter & St. Paul Church, Shefa-Amr
St. Peter & St. Paul Church is located in the city of Shefa-Amr, Israel on one of the town's peaks of the old city.It has a high bell tower and a large purple dome which used to be blue until it was changed in the year of 2009....
is located in one of the town's peaks near the fort, it has a high bell tower and a large purple dome. The church was built by Otman, who made a promise to build it if his fort was finished successfully, so its history goes back to that of the fort. The walls of the church started to get weak so in 1904 the whole church was strengthened and improved. It remains standing today and is the main church of the Greek Catholic community of Shefa-'Amr.
Mosque of Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Old Mosque) built near the castle in the days of Suleiman Pasha.
Archaeology
Settlement in Shefar‘am has existed without interruption since the Roman period, when it was one of the cities of the Sanhedrin. Decorated burial caves were documented by the Survey of Western Palestine in the late nineteenth century, and an architectural survey was carried out in the fortress. In August–September 2008, a salvage dig was conducted in the southern quarter of the old city exposing remains from five phases in the Late Byzantine and early Umayyad periods. Finds include a tabun, a pavement of small fieldstones, a mosaic pavement that was probably part of a winepress treading floor, a small square winepress, handmade kraters, an imported Cypriot bowl and an open cooking pot. Also discovered were glass and pottery vessels.Notable residents
- Mansour F. ArmalyMansour F. ArmalyMansour F. Armaly was a Palestinian physician who was globally recognized as a pioneering researcher in the modern medical treatment of glaucoma....
- Zahi ArmeliZahi ArmeliZahi Armali is a former Israeli footballer who started his career at Maccabi Shefa-'Amr, and a holder of many records at Maccabi Haifa.-Football career:Born and raised in Shefa-'Amr, Zahi started his professional career at Maccabi Shefa-'Amr...
(born 1957), former footballer - Mohammad BarakehMohammad BarakehMohammad Barakeh is an Israeli Arab politician and member of the Knesset for Hadash, of which he is the General Secretary.-Biography:Born in Shefa-'Amr, Barakeh studied mathematics at Tel Aviv University. He first became politically involved whilst at university in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
- Emile HabibiEmile HabibiImil Shukri Habibi was an Israeli-Palestinian writer of Arabic expression and a communist politician, son of a Christian family.In 2005, he was voted the 143rd-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest...
(1922–96), Christian Israeli-Palestinian writer and communist politician