Jewish life in Djerba, Tunisia, 1981. Photographed by Jan Parik.
Djerba’s Jewish community is believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jews from the Levant settled on the island between 2,500 and 3,000 years ago, building the legendary Ghriba synagogue in 585 BCE. Legend claims that either a stone or a door from Solomon's Temple was incorporated in the building. More Jewish immigrants came to Djerba in the Renaissance period, fleeing persecution in Italy and Spain and mixing Sephardi and Arab Jewish rites, language and folklore. They lived, worshipped and worked proudly side by side with their Muslim neighbors for many centuries. From the second half of the 20th century, Zionism and growing Islamic extremism have caused many Djerba Jews to emigrate. Thus, their community is slowly falling apart.
