Alexander Zaid
(1886 - 1938)
Born in Siberia, Alexander Zaid moved to Vilna at the age of 13 and
subsequently joined the Zionist labor movement. In 1904 he was one
of the first pioneers of the Second Aliyah to reach Eretz Yisrael,
working in Rishon LeZion and Petah Tikvah. He was wounded by Arabs in
Zikhron Ya'akov, and then moved to Jerusalem where he worked as a
stonemason.
In 1907, he was one of the founders of a secret defense organization
which was at the origins of the HaShomer organization. HaShomer was
established in Kfar Tavor in the Lower Galilee in 1909. He devoted
himself to the organization until his death.
In 1916, Zaid joined a group of HaShomer members who settled in Upper
Galilee in what was to become Kfar Giladi. He stayed there for 10
years and then moved to nearby Tel Hai, and then to Sheikh Abrek in
the Jezreel Valley to take charge of guarding the neighboring
settlements for the Jewish National Fund. He was repeatedly faced
with dangerous situations, but never abandoned his position, even
when he was wounded by Arab rioters in 1932.
He was killed by Arabs while he was on guard duty in 1938. A statue
of Zaid on horseback with a commanding view of the Jezreel Valley
was erected at nearby Givat Zaid.
Sources: The Pedagogic
Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for
Israel, (c) 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, Director: Dr. Motti Friedman, Webmaster:
Esther Carciente |