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Hadjeb el-Ayoun, Tunisia

Description

The Jewish Community of Hadjeb al-Ayoun

The town of Hadjeb al-Ayoun didn’t have a significant Jewish population for most of its history, with the first Jewish residents arriving at the turn of the 20th century from the coastal city of Gabès [9]. Over the next decade, attracted by the success of these original families, more Jewish people arrived in Hadjeb al-Ayoun, many of whom worked as tailors [9]. The community established a synagogue, a cemetery [3], as well as becoming prominent members of the local economy [9]. The most prosperous Jewish family of Hadjeb al-Ayoun were the Maimouns, who owned the town’s only bakery, an inn, an oil press, and 35 acres of land [9]. By 1931, the Jewish population had reached its peak of 140 people, over 10% of the then small village of only 1,144 residents [9]. However, by 1942, with the threat of German troops looming ever nearer, the Jewish community fled after the Allied bombing, living with local Bedouin people in the hills surrounding the town [9]. Upon their return, they discovered that many of their homes and businesses had been destroyed and looted by the various troops and townspeople [9]. By 1955, the entire community had left Hadjeb al-Ayoun, immigrating to France, Israel, and beyond [9]. Despite the relatively short period of time that the Jewish community had existed in Hadjeb al-Ayoun, their presence is still remembered by modern residents. A member of the prosperous Maimon family, Hubert Maimon, returned to Hadjeb al-Ayoun in 2001, and there he discovered that people still remembered the houses where his family had lived, and that the Jewish cemetery remained carefully maintained by locals. Even the synagogue that had housed the Jewish community for 50 years was still an important part of Hadjeb al-Ayoun’s community life, having been turned into a theater and community center where local children participate in plays and performances [3]. 

Hadjeb al-Ayoun

Hadjeb al-Ayoun (Hadjeb al-Aïoun, حاجب العيون) is a town in the governorate of Kairouan about 60 kilometers from the city of Kairouan [1]. Located on the shores of the lake formed by the Sidi Saad Dam, Hadjeb al-Ayoun is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants [1]. The site of the modern town was once a Roman town by the name of Masclianae [6], and Roman artifacts, including the ruins of a 6th century basilica and tiles with Christian imagery, have been found in the town and its surrounding area [7]. During World War II, the area was the location of multiple battles between Allied troops and German troops led by Erwin Rommel [8]. The town was bombed by Allied forces in December of 1942 [9], but also sheltered American troops during February of the following year [10]. For much of this time, Hajeb al-Ayoun, as well as Tunisia itself, was occupied by Germany [10]. Today, Hajeb al-Ayoun’s economy is mostly based on farming thanks to its access to irrigation and fertile land from the nearby lake [1, 11].

Jews in Tunisia

The Jewish community of Tunisia has had a significant presence in the country since the Roman rule of Tunisia, with evidence of Jewish cemeteries from the 3rd century, as well as mentions of Jewish communities in the writing of the day [2] . When Arabs took control of the country in the 8th century the Jewish community flourished, and gained new members, with Jewish immigrants from Spain and Italy arriving into port cities [2] . During this time, the city of Kairouan became a center for Jewish intellectual thought academia, rivaling Babylon in its scholarship [4]. In the 16th century, Tunisia fell under Ottoman Turkish rule [2] . The Jewish community continued to integrate itself with the mainstream, while also splitting into two distinct groups—the native Tunisian Jews, who called themselves Touansa, and the newer Italian and Spanish immigrant groups who called themselves the Grana [2]. In the 19th century as French rule of North Africa spread from Algeria to Tunisia, the Jewish community found itself becoming more emancipated, up until World War II, when Tunisia was ruled by the Nazi-aligned Vichy party and Germany itself. During these years the Jewish community was subjected to forced labor, property seizure, and anti-semitic laws [2]. After Tunisian independence, Jewish courts and community councils were dissolved during the Arabization process [5], and much of the community left for France and Israel. Today, less than 1500 Jews still live in Tunisia, the majority of whom live on the island of Djerba [5].

Hadjeb el Ayoun, Tunisia

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