01In brief
Shefer is a moshav in the Eastern Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, situated in the Meron Mountains at an average elevation of 592 meters. Founded in 1950, it lies in the Northern District's Safed Subdistrict and is administered by the Merom HaGalil Regional Council. In 2022, Shefer had 428 residents, including 424 Jews. Separately, Shefer was used as an acronym or pseudonym by Sha'ul Pinḥas Rabinowitz (1845–1910), a Lithuanian-born scholar, translator, and Zionist activist whose personal papers are held at the Central Zionist Archives under code A27.
02Overview
Shefer carries locality code 846 in Israel's official register and is located in the Northern District's Safed Subdistrict, under the jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council.[1] The moshav is in the Meron Mountains area of the Upper Galilee.[2] Its average elevation is recorded as 592 meters.[1]
03History
04Demographics
Shefer recorded 252 inhabitants as of 31 December 2004.[3] By 2020, the population had grown to 442 residents, comprising 441 Jews and others — including 434 Jews — and one Arab resident.[4] The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics' 2022 locality table records 428 residents in total, of whom 427 are Jews and others, including 424 Jews, and one is an Arab resident.[1]
05Notable Sites
A hiking route associated with Shefer begins at the northern edge of the moshav and runs approximately 4.8 kilometers. It ends on Route 866 between milestones 37 and 38.[2]
06Other Uses of the Name
Separately from the Israeli locality, Shefer served as an acronym or pseudonym of Sha'ul Pinḥas Rabinowitz (1845–1910), whose name is rendered in several transliterations, including Saul Pinchas Rabinowicz, Saul Phinehas Rabbinowitz, and Shaul Pinhas ben Shmuel Mordechai Rabinowitz.[5][6] He is described as an author, translator, public activist, historian, writer, and Zionist activist.[5]
Rabinowitz was born in Taurage in the Kaunas district of Lithuania and spent his childhood in Shnipishok, now Šnipiškės, a suburb of Vilna.[7] The Central Zionist Archives lists his personal papers under archival code A27, gives his life dates as 1845–1910, and records the collection's extent as 0.3 linear meters.[6] Its principal languages are listed as Hebrew, English, German, Yiddish, and Russian.[8]
Josef Meisl married Rabinowitz's daughter Roza, also known as Shoshana, in 1906. In 1943, Meisl published a biography of his father-in-law identifying him as “the Shefer.”[5]
Sources
- 1Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2022 locality table, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 2Israel Ministry of Education, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 3Encyclopedia.com, Land of Israel: Population, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 4Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2020 locality table, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 5National Library of Israel, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 6Central Zionist Archives, English guide, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 7YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, Rabbinowitz, Sha'ul Pinḥas, accessed on September 23, 2026.
- 8Central Zionist Archives, Hebrew guide, 2018, accessed on September 23, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What is Shefer?
Shefer is a moshav in the Eastern Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, situated in the Meron Mountains at an average elevation of 592 meters. Founded in 1950, it lies in the Northern District's Safed Subdistrict and is administered by the Merom HaGalil Regional Council. In 2022, Shefer had 428 residents, including 424 Jews.
When was Shefer established?
Shefer was established in 1950. A place list using population figures from 31 December 2004 classified it as a moshav in the Eastern Upper Galilee, represented by the Merom HaGalil Regional Council, and recorded no contemporary movement affiliation.
How has Shefer's population changed over time?
Shefer recorded 252 inhabitants as of 31 December 2004. By 2020, the population had grown to 442 residents, and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics' 2022 locality table records 428 residents in total, of whom 424 are Jews and one is an Arab resident.
Is there a hiking route near Shefer?
A hiking route associated with Shefer begins at the northern edge of the moshav and runs approximately 4.8 kilometers, ending on Route 866 between milestones 37 and 38.
Who was Sha'ul Pinḥas Rabinowitz, and what does he have to do with the name Shefer?
Sha'ul Pinḥas Rabinowitz (1845–1910) was a Lithuanian-born author, translator, historian, and Zionist activist who used Shefer as an acronym or pseudonym. He was born in Taurage in the Kaunas district of Lithuania and spent his childhood in Shnipishok, now Šnipiškės, a suburb of Vilna. His personal papers are held at the Central Zionist Archives under archival code A27, and the collection spans 0.3 linear meters in Hebrew, English, German, Yiddish, and Russian.
Who published a biography of Sha'ul Pinḥas Rabinowitz identifying him as "the Shefer"?
Josef Meisl, who had married Rabinowitz's daughter Roza, also known as Shoshana, in 1906, published a biography of his father-in-law in 1943 identifying him as "the Shefer."