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Group seeks to preserve IDF pigeons' dovecote from 1948 By Noah Kosharek Tags: haganah, Israel News  It's been 60 years since Shaul Sapir, 81, and Aharon Landsman, 73, met. Sapir served during the War of Independence in a Negev unit and established the carrier pigeon unit of the Haganah, the pre-state Jewish militia. Landsman, in his early teens at the time, trained the pigeons, delivered by Sapir, in the Haganah's dovecote at Kibbutz Givat Brenner and later served in the Israel Defense Forces' carrier pigeon unit. Yesterday, the men met again at the kibbutz, to work toward conservation of the kibbutz's IDF carrier pigeon dovecote, which replaced the Haganah one in 1948. They were joined by representatives of the Council for the Restoration and Preservation of Historic Sites in Israel, veterans of the Haganah's elite unit, the Palmach, along with professional pigeon keepers and carrier pigeon devotees. As the 12 visitors perused the dovecote, apparently the last one left from Haganah days, conversation ranged from how long it takes a carrier pigeon to fly from the Dead Sea to the kibbutz, recollections of one pigeon who was sent from Cyprus and arrived a year later at the kibbutz, and the long-gone monument to the unknown pigeon, established at the IDF's Tzrifin base in the 1950s. Advertisement "This is a dovecote established by the IDF during the War of Independence," said Yigal Tepper, who together with his son, Yotam, wrote a book about Haganah and Palmach communication by carrier pigeon during the war. During the war, the pigeons were mainly used to maintain communication with the south, which was cut off in the fighting. When the unit was reestablished by the IDF, Tepper explained, it had four dovecotes, at Kibbutz Dorot, Kibbutz Givat Brenner, Tzrifin, and Moshav Merhavia. "Generations of future carrier pigeons were raised in this dovecote," Tepper added. The acting head of the preservation council, Tal Ben-Nun, said the council would be following up on the legal steps toward preservation, as well as documentation of the site, and would try to get the young people of the kibbutz to adopt the site. Amnon Shor, 77, who served a year in the unit, says that when he started he was already experienced from years of raising the birds at his home kibbutz, Ashdot Ya'akov. When the IDF unit was established and the pigeons were taken north, Shor ran away from home to be part of the carrier pigeon unit. "I am in favor of preservation," he said, "and I would be happy to be invited to some opening of the dovecote." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Off with your seat! Likud committee bumps Feiglin down to 36th on party ticket. Trotting for the Globe Israeli animated feature 'Waltz with Bashir' nominated for Golden Globe award.

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