District Southern Affiliation Moshavim Movement Name meaning Dawn | Council Lakhish Population (2015) 838 Founded 1955 | |
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Founded by North African Jewish refugees and Indian-Jewish immigrants | ||
Shahar (Hebrew: שַׁחַר, lit. Dawn) is a moshav in south-central Israel. Located about three kilometres west of Kiryat Gat and one kilometre east of Nir Hen, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lakhish Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 838.
Contents
Map of Shahar, Israel
History
The moshav was founded in 1955 as part of the program to populate the area with Jewish refugees from North Africa and Jewish immigrants India. Its name symbolizes the dawn of Zionist settlement in Hevel Lakhish.
The main industry that they developed was growing flowers for export, an enterprise which, despite the harsh desert climate, grew and prospered. One of Shahar's leading businessmen, Eliahu Bezalel, won the Kaplan Prize in 1994 and then the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (an award for Non-Resident Indians), in recognition of these achievements.