Two Years After the Pandemic Began, the Jewish Pilgrimage to the Tunisian Island of Djerba Resumes

Tunisia is home to the second-largest Jewish community in the Arab world, and the Tunisian island of Djerba is home to one of Africa’s oldest synagogues, the site of an annual Jewish pilgrimage. As Kersten Knipp explains, “religious legend has it [that] the 2,500-year-old place of worship—known as the Ghriba synagogue in Arabic—was built using remnants of the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem.” This year, between four and five thousand visitors are expected participate in a yearly festival held on the island, following a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus. Knipp sketches the recent history of Tunisia’s Jews, the synagogue, and the pilgrimage, along with the regional tensions this history reflects.