Alexander Zaid (1886–1938) Zionist pioneer, watchman, and fighter. Born in the Russian Empire, he joined a Jewish self-defense group in Vilna following the 1903 Kishinev pogrom and immigrated alone to the Land of Israel a year later. Zeid worked as a farm laborer in various Jewish agricultural settlements and was among the first to recognize the need for organized self-defense. In 1907, he co-founded the “Bar-Giora” group, and in 1909 helped establish “Hashomer,” aiming to expand Jewish guard duty across the Yishuv. In 1926, he settled with his family in Sheikh Abreik, serving as an independent watchman for the JNF. In 1938, he was murdered by an Arab assailant on his way to a community meeting. After his death, Zeid became a symbol of courage, pioneering spirit, and devotion to the Jewish settlement in Eretz Israel.