Tunisia broadens access to annual Jewish pilgrimage to Africa’s oldest synagogue
Organizers announces ‘gradual return to normal’ after the event was scaled down in wake of deadly 2023 terror attack on historic Ghriba synagogue
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TUNIS, Tunisia — This year’s Jewish pilgrimage on Tunisia’s island of Djerba will welcome more worshippers after two years of scaled-down participation due to safety concerns, organizers said on Tuesday.
The pilgrimage to the Ghriba synagogue, Africa’s oldest, has in the past drawn thousands of pilgrims from Europe and beyond, attracting international and local tourists as well.
But after a deadly 2023 terror attack on the synagogue that killed two worshipers and three police officers, fewer pilgrims have been turning out, while officials also placed restrictions on the event.
This year, organizers say it will be “open to everyone, Tunisians and foreigners, as part of a gradual return to normal,” said the head of the organizing committee, Perez Trabelsi.
The pilgrimage will be held from April 30 to May 6.
Festivities will still be limited to indoors this year, whereas the pilgrimage usually includes a parade outside of the synagogue.
Two worshippers were killed in the 2023 attack when a policeman shot them along with three other police officers.
Djerba, whose palm trees and beach resorts attract flocks of tourists each year, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the region outside of Israel.
The pilgrimage is at the heart of the Jewish tradition in Tunisia, where only about 1,500 members of the faith still live — mainly on the island — compared to around 100,000 in the 1950s, before many left for Israel and France.
The Times of Israel Community.