Ben Zion Tavger


Ben Zion Tavger, August 5, 1930 - July 22, 1983, was a physicist and an activist for the Israeli settlements in Hebron. He has been described as "an avenger... treat every Arab in as if they had personally participated in the massacre of 1929".

Early years

Tavger was born in 1930 in the city of Barysaw. His family then moved to Gorky in Russia.
He studies physics at Moscow University and at the University of Gorky, graduating in 1952.
In 1961 Tavger began underground Zionist activities, organizing a group of students who studied Zeev Jabotinsky's books and articles and prepared for immigration to Israel.
In 1968, Tavger was expelled from the University of Gorky and deprived of teaching privileges throughout the region. He was subsequently accepted as a senior researcher at the Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics in Novosibirsk. Here is again led a group of young Zionists.

Immigration to Israel

In May 1972, Tavger immigrated to Israel, arriving at Nazareth Illit absorption center. Yuval Ne'eman, then president of Tel Aviv University, invited to work at the university. Tavger worked at Tel Aviv University until 1974, at the same time trying to set up a science and research institute located in Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement in Hebron.

Hebron

In 1974, Tavger left Tel Aviv University and moved to Kiryat Arba. Soon he began to take part in the settlement politics in Hebron, and the restoration of Jewish national sites there.
In 1975, a 4 month old baby, Avraham Nachson, who had died of Sudden infant death syndrome, was illegally buried in the old Jewish cemetery in Hebron. Residents of Kiryat Arba began to arrange guard duty at the grave; Tavger, then unemployed, took on the role of guard. He began cleaning and restoring the cemetery and the nearby Tomb of Jesse and Ruth.
Later that year, at the same time, Tavger bound himself with his fifteen-year-old son to the bars at the entrance of Sarah's tomb in the Cave of the Patriarchs, in order to remain in the cave beyond the hours allowed.
Tavger was involved in identifying Jewish sites in Hebron, and in various ways tried to create Jewish outposts there.
Tavger also conducted cleaning and excavation at the site of the Avraham Avinu Synagogue.
According to Hebron's military lieutenant governor, Zvi Barel, Tavger spilled trash into the Arab neighbors' yards, was a source of agitation and disturbed the army in his work.

Later years

From 1975, Tavger taught at the Jerusalem College of Technology, where he established a laboratory with Naftali Eisenberg.
Tavger died on 22 July 1983 and is survived by five sons. The area next to the Avraham Avinu Synagogue in Hebron is called "Kiryat Ben-Zion" in his memory. A memorial plaque at the entrance to the synagogue, rebuilt thanks to its struggle, perpetuates this fact. The street leading to the synagogue was also named after Prof. Tabgar.

Scientific publications

Magnetic symmetry