Shavei Tzion

History

The village was established on 13 April 1938, as part of the tower and stockade settlement scheme. Its founders, immigrants from Rexingen in Germany, arrived during the Fifth Aliyah fleeing from Nazi persecution. The village's construction was financed by Arthur Loewengart, a former resident of Rexingen and wealthy leather manufacturer who immigrated to the United States in 1937.{{Cite news| last = Mann| first = Nadav| title = The Yishuv history: Shavei Tzion's 70th anniversary| work = Ynet| accessdate = 2008-07-25

Seven of the Acre Prison break fighters who were killed during the operation are buried in the local cemetery.

A memorial was erected on the beach in 1999, commemorating the death of 12 IDF naval commandos who fell during an ill-fated mission into Lebanon on 5 September 1997. It is composed of a dozen sandstone slabs leaning on each another, and a separate block carrying the names of the casualties – including a young officer from Shavei Tzion. The wreck of an old ship of the Israeli Navy, Kidon, which had been sunk just offshore as a tourist attraction for scuba divers, has also become a memorial site in recent years after a 2016 remembrance day ceremony organized by a local dive club, at which a memorial of Israeli flags and 12 chairs representing each of the 12 soldiers who died during the operation was set up on the wreck. File:שבי ציון - מראה שבי ציון,צילום אויר-JNF035094.jpeg|Shavei Tzion 1939 File:שבי ציון - המשתלה-JNF034600.jpeg|Shavei Tzion 1939 File:שבי ציון - מראה בחגיגת יובל החמישה-JNF021128.jpeg|Shavei Tzion 1943

Archaeology

In 1955, remains of a Byzantine church were found along the beach path that leads from Acre to Tyre and was dated to the 4th century. The excavations were led by Moshe Prausnitz and the findings included Mosaic floors and walls as well as remains of an Artesian aquifer.

Twin towns

Shavei Tzion has a friendship relationship with:

• GER Stuttgart, Germany

Gallery

File:Shavei_Tzion_cemetery.jpg|Tombstone of Acre Prison break fighters File:IDF Marine Commando Disaster Memorial-5.JPG|IDF Marine Commando Disaster Memorial File:Shaveziyyon1.jpg|Synagogue File:Loewengart Hall Shavei Tzion.jpg|Beit Loewengart Community Hall

Notable people

• Daliah Lavi

References

References

1. Man, Nadav. (August 1, 2008). "Shavei Zion celebrates 70 years – part 2". Ynetnews.
2. (20 November 2013). "יוקרה באמצע שום מקום".
3. "מסלול טיול נוסטלגי בשבי ציון - אוצרות הגליל". אוצרות הגליל.
4. "From Ancient To Modern: Five Top Shipwrecks In Israel's Mediterranean Sea".
5. (12 May 2016). ""100 divers in underwater salute to fallen Shayetet 13 heroes"". Ynetnews.
6. "⁨דבר⁩ | עמוד 22 | 13 דצמבר 1957 | אוסף העיתונות | הספרייה הלאומית".
7. "פרוייקטים - שימור".
8. "Stuttgarter Stadtporträt/Städtepartnerschaften/Internationale Partnerschaften/Besonders freundschaftliche Beziehungen". © Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Abteilung Außenbeziehungen (Official website of Stuttgart).