The village was badly damaged in the Galilee earthquake of 1837 . The local church and a row of columns and other standing remains of the ancient synagogue were thrown to the ground . The nearby village of Kafr Bir ' im was captured October 31 , 1948 by the Israel Defense Forces during operation Hiram and the villagers forced to leave . In 1949 , due to frequent cross-border infiltration , they were barred from returning to the border zone . On June 16 , 1949 , Kibbutz Bar ' am was founded nearby by demobilized Palmach soldiers
Galilee earthquake of 1837
Galilee earthquake of 1837
Kfar Bar'am