So why would someone want to vandalize a sign?
Here is the amazing story from the mouth of Professor Yossi Ben Artzi, a member of the Municipal Conservation Committee
The old Jewish cemetery is on the Jaffa road in Haifa and few know it. It was used by the Jews of Haifa from 1860 to 1940, approximately (then they moved to bury at Carmel Beach).
Around 1870, the dignitaries of Haifa, including the Halfon, Abutbul and Levi families, built a "burial tent" around the graves of the family's ancestors, which is a stone structure over the grave of a private person or family. The structure gives importance to being buried in it.
They took the trouble and did so, apparently, because these families arrived after the arrival of the founders of Haifa from Algiers. The founders immigrated from the city of Oren in Algiers, already in 1830, that is, about 40 years before the Halfon, Abutbol and Levi families...
The tomb indicates the importance of the family
In order to give extra importance to the place, and to enhance the importance of the families in relation to the founders who came before them, a kind of "competition" was created for the importance of the graves. That's why they built inside the burial tent something like a modern tombstone (modern of those days) and wrote a message on it as if "Abdimi Demin Haifa" is buried there. It is not in dispute that "Abdimi Damin Haifa" was supposed to be, that is, a scholar, but to the researchers who studied the matter it is clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that he is not buried there at all and that the modern inscription is not the source of deception.
The evidence for you is that the tzaddik is not buried there
"Abdimi Damin Haifa" lived in the third century AD (during the period of the Mishna and the Talmud, i.e. the Amoraim). It is agreed that during his time they were not buried under tombstones at all, but in underground burial caves. In addition, the inscription on the tomb is in new Hebrew and not in the Hebrew that was used in ancient times. If that's not enough, it is known that the cemetery was founded around 1870, while the righteous man passed away about 1500 years earlier. These facts and more, clearly explain that he is not buried there.
Prostrate on the grave of the righteous
Since the modern inscription was identified, the place became a focus of pilgrimage. People came to prostrate at the grave of the righteous man
Several years ago, people entered the burial site, took donations there and even set up a yeshiva on the spot and opened an opening in the fence in a forbidden place (founded a start-up...)
The sign gets in the way of the story
The Municipality of Haifa, through the Historical Signage Committee, decided to place a sign, together with the Council for the Preservation of Sites, which presents the historically accurate wording, based on the in-depth research done regarding this place.
Apparently there are those who are bothered by the sign
Restoration of the cemetery - the 80s
This cemetery was very neglected for many years.
In the 80s, Professor Ben Artzi arrived there with students from Haifa University, prepared a map, wrote the names on the tombstones
And today there is a joint plan with the company Kadisha, to upload all the names to the company's computer.
comments
Naama Mizrahi, District Director of the Site Preservation Council: It is sad to see that unknown persons vandalized the sign that we put up in cooperation with the Haifa municipality. The Council for the Preservation of Sites and the Municipality of Haifa will seek a solution to restore the sign to its previous state.
The Haifa police said: A complaint in this regard has not yet been submitted by the Haifa municipality. If a complaint is filed, we will investigate.
The Haifa Municipality informed Haifa: The sign will be sent for repair and restoration.
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