Synagogue at Setif, Algeria

The Jewish population of Setif dates from Roman times, according to inscriptions that locate a synagogue in the city of Sitifis.¹ While there were fewer than two hundred Jews in Setif during the early years of French occupation, the population grew steadily through the late 1800s, reaching a high of 3,015 in 1921.² The Setif massacre in May 1945 marked the beginning of both the Algerian War and the decline of the city’s Jewish community. By 1962, when Algeria gained independence, more than three hundred Jewish families still remained in Setif, but they eventually departed for France.